MASK 2: The Next Generation
by BKelly95
Summary: The battle between MASK and VENOM has finished, but another threat has reared its head. A new MASK team is formed as a result.
1. The Heists

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
AN:Can you believe that it's been almost twenty years since MASK first appeared? It's even harder to believe that it's one of the few great toy lines of the eighties that hasn't made a comeback. (VOR-Tech doesn't count.)  
  
In any case, this is my interpretation of what a 2004 version of MASK would be like. I've also attempted to write such an interpretation on the MASK Mindforge, but I'll admit I didn't do very well. Don't worry, I think my writing ability has improved since then.  
  
The MASK concept isn't mine, but these characters are.  
  
As always, read and review.  
  
----------  
  
The Heists  
  
----------  
  
Tempe, Arizona...  
  
"Where is this place?" asked Hack. "I'm getting itchy."  
  
"We're almost there." said Rocks.  
  
"This kinda reminds me of when I went to college." said Slash.  
  
"You went to college?" asked Rocks.  
  
"Well, I drove through in a car." said Slash.  
  
"We're here." said Hack. Rocks pulled his Hummer to the side of the street and let Hack and Slash out. The two looked up at the building.  
  
"Why are they hiding it in a college dorm room?" asked Slash.  
  
"Who's gonna think to look for it there?" asked Hack.  
  
The two masked men walked over to the door. Then, they noticed a problem.  
  
"Uh, I think it can only be opened with a key." said Slash.  
  
"Or from the inside." said Hack. "That's my department." He walked over to the wall and called out "Gecko, on!" His hands and feet began to glow green and he crawled up the wall.  
  
Upon reaching the second floor, Hack climbed through a window. A couple of seconds later, Hack opened the front door and let Slash in.  
  
"Whose dorm room are we looking for?" asked Slash when they reached the third floor.  
  
"His name is Paul Gomez, according to my source." said Hack. "It's actually a pseudonym. Here it is."  
  
Slash looked at the indicated door and said "My turn." He pulled back and released a punch that ripped the door off its hinges. The three guards inside quickly raised their weapons. Slash held up his hands and called "Surge, on!" Bolts of blue lightning shot from his hands and knocked out the guards.  
  
"Careful, Slash!" yelled Hack. "You almost shorted out the computer!"  
  
"But I didn't." said Slash.  
  
Hack sighed as he started unplugging the computer. "The concept of delicacy is lost on you." he groaned.  
  
"Don't move!" ordered a man's voice. Hack and Slash looked in the direction of the voice to see three more guards with their weapons raised.  
  
"Back off or Mr. Computer gets it." snarled Slash.  
  
"We've got back-ups for that." said one of the guards. "You don't."  
  
Outside, Rocks watched the scene through binoculars. "You don't have to come with us, you'll only slow us down." he said, mocking Hack. "We can take care of this ourselves. Idiots."  
  
He put his mask on and pulled into position in his Hummer.  
  
Inside, one of the guards asked the leader "Shouldn't we call the guards outside and have them look for the wheelman?"  
  
"No." said the leader. "He's probably long gone by now. Besides, there's nothing he can do to help these two."  
  
Outside, Rocks looked at the dorm room and said "Targeting mode." His mask began scanning the interior of the dorm room. He saw the heat generated by the bodies of Hack, Slash, and the guards. He also saw a water pipe next to the guards and called out "Pierce, fire!"  
  
A yellow energy bolt fired from his mask and tore through the exterior wall. It kept on going, passed between Hack's legs, and hit the pipe. The pipe burst and dowsed the three guards.  
  
"Now what?" asked Hack as the guards were distracted.  
  
Just then, Rocks pulled up to the side of the building and his Hummer went through a transformation. The rear of the vehicle rose up and the passenger compartment flipped up to become level. The front bumper extended and a pair of guns extended from the grill. A pair of missiles emerged from the rear section and a pair of cannons extended from the sides of the passenger compartment.  
  
Slash saw the top of the vehicle through the dorm's window, picked up a chair, and smashed the window. He and Hack jumped out onto the rear section and were lowered with the vehicle as it returned to its previous form. Hack and Slash then got off the roof and jumped into the back seat with the computer.  
  
"We got it!" said Slash. "Go!"  
  
Rocks drove off and made his escape. In the back seat, Hack fumed. "You almost hit me!" he sneered.  
  
"Sorry." said Rocks. "I'll just aim a little closer next time."  
  
----------  
  
On a highway outside of Las Cruses, New Mexico...  
  
A tractor-trailer drove down the highway. The driver hummed along with the country song playing on the radio. The security guard next to him glanced out the window at the countryside.  
  
"Ever been jacked?" asked the guard.  
  
"Nope." said the driver. "Of course, I've never hauled anything this sensitive before."  
  
"Just stay vigilant." said the guard.  
  
It was right about then that the roar of an engine cut the silence. The driver looked out the window and saw an attractive blond woman driving a silver Dodge Viper GTS.  
  
"Hey, check this girl out." he said. The guard leaned over and looked at the girl.  
  
"Oh yeah." he said. "Car's not bad either."  
  
The woman made a fist, held it up, then made a motion like she was pulling the truck's air horn. The driver pulled the truck's air horn for real in response. The Viper then passed the truck and pulled in front of it.  
  
"That's good." said the woman. "Trust me."  
  
The woman was a teammate of Hack, Slash, and Rocks known as Flash. She pushed a button on the Viper's dashboard and a mask slid over her head.  
  
"Almost there." she said as she approached a mile marker at the side of the road. When she passed it, she called "Wormhole, on!" A blue beam of energy shone from her mask and opened a blue energy tunnel.  
  
"What the?" exclaimed the truck driver as he drove into the tunnel, unable to avoid it.  
  
The two vehicles drove through the tunnel. Along the way, the Viper started to change. The sides of the car flipped up and became hover skirts. The rear window elevated to reveal a missile launcher and jet engines. The side exhausts extended to become laser cannons.  
  
At the other end of the tunnel, the Viper cruised over the ground and the truck plowed into the dirt and got stuck. The driver and guard looked up to see a heavily-armed vehicle that looked like it may have once been a motor home.  
  
"What the heck is that?" yelled the guard.  
  
"I don't know!" screamed the driver. "But it's aiming right at us!"  
  
The vehicle's weaponry was indeed aimed at the truck. It fired and took out the truck's engine and front wheels. The driver and guard bailed out of the cab.  
  
The masked man in the armed vehicle jumped out and approached the two men. The guard tried to raise his weapon, but the man grabbed him by the neck and called "Leech, on!" A green glow surrounded the man's hand and guard quickly lost conciousness.  
  
"Why you little..." growled the truck driver as he approached the man with a tire iron.  
  
The man looked at the driver and called "Leech, fire!" A green bolt of energy fired from his mask and hit the driver, knocking him out.  
  
"Nice shooting, Calvin." said Flash as she walked over to him.  
  
"Child's play, sis." responded Calvin, a.k.a. Gearbox. "Now, let's see what we've got."  
  
The two opened the back of the trailer. Inside was a large box with wires attached.  
  
"That would be what we're looking for." said Gearbox.  
  
"Good." said Flash. "Now, let's get it into the Monster and get it back to base before those two wake up."  
  
"Heard that." said Gearbox.  
  
----------  
  
At a laboratory in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado...  
  
"Professor, the signal emitter appears to be returning to normal." said a scientist.  
  
"Then we can assume the experiment is a success." said the professor.  
  
"Shall we record the data and submit it to Santa Fe?" asked the scientist.  
  
"I believe we must." said the professor. Just then, an alarm started to sound and red lights started flashing.  
  
"What's going on?" asked the scientist.  
  
"That's the security alarm!" said the professor.  
  
"Professor!" yelled a security guard. "We've got a group of motorcycles approaching on the access road!"  
  
"Prepare for a possible attack!" yelled the professor.  
  
"First, the dorm robbery last night, then the truck hijacking this morning." said the scientist. "Now this."  
  
Outside, four Honda CBRs raced along the access road. The riders pulled out submachine guns and approached the main gate for the laboratory. One of the riders fired his gun and the gate's lock was broken. The front two bikers performed wheelies and knocked open the gate.  
  
The security guards ran out into the parking lot with assault rifles. They quickly saught cover when the bikers opened fire. When the bikers stopped to reload, the guards returned fire. The bikers increased their speed to avoid getting hit.  
  
The professor and the scientist watched the battle from the corner laboratory where they had performed the experiment.  
  
"The bikers have speed, but the guards have numbers." observed the scientist. "Will the bikers reach the lab?"  
  
"Doubtful." said the professor. "Even if the bikers manage to defeat the guards out there, they still have to fight past two floors of guards to get here."  
  
It was at that moment that the professor was interupted by the sound of breaking glass. He turned around and saw a harpoon had broken the window on the other wall and hooked itself onto the signal emitter. The harpoon was attached to a small blue helicopter by a cable. Just as quickly as the harpoon hooked onto the emitter, it was pulled out of the window by the helicopter.  
  
"Ha! I should go fishing more often." said the helicopter pilot as he reeled in his illicit cargo. He then picked up the microphone for his radio and said "Mission accomplished. Return to base."  
  
With that, the bikers turned around and headed for the gate. Seeing her chance, one of the guards aimed her assault rifle at one of the fleeing bikers and fired. The front wheel of the bike suddenly collapsed and the biker was thrown to the pavement face first.  
  
The helicopter and the other bikers managed to escape. A minute later, the professor and the scientist ran out of the building to find the guards huddled around the fallen biker.  
  
"That helicopter got away with the signal emitter!" yelled the professor.  
  
"Then the bikers were a distraction!" said the captain of the guards.  
  
"What's that?" asked the scientist.  
  
"We managed to take down one of the motorcycle gunmen." said the captain.  
  
"Is he still alive?" asked the professor. "Then the authorities can interrogate him."  
  
"Uh, sir." said one of the guards. "He was never alive." He then turned the biker over and revealed something that shocked everyone.  
  
The biker was a robot.  
  
----------  
  
Somewhere under California's Mojave Desert...  
  
"This is intolerable!" yelled Gates. "First it was was a heist every week, now three in one day!"  
  
"They're stepping things up." observed the African-American man working the computer. "They must be getting more organized."  
  
"We have to take action soon." said the muscular, bearded man in the leather jacket. "Otherwise, who knows?"  
  
"In any case, I've got a new partner coming by to lend us a hand." said Gates.  
  
"Think he's the one?" asked the bearded man.  
  
"When does he get here?" asked the computer operator.  
  
"Right now." said a voice from behind him. The men looked at the entrance to see a Hispanic man in a dark suit enter. "Agent Gates? I'm Agent Jeremy Sanchez. I was told I'd be working with you."  
  
"Ah yes, I know you." said Gates. "You went to the academy with my daughter, Julie."  
  
Jeremy shook hands with Gates and said "I heard what happened to her. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay." said Gates. "Oh, by the way, allow me to introduce you to our experts." He held out his hand to the computer operator and said "This is Jack Marshall, our computer expert."  
  
"You can call me 'Scooter'." said the operator as he shook hands with Jeremy.  
  
"And this is our weapons expert, 'Rocky' Jackson." said Gates as he held out his hand to the bearded man.  
  
"You got a nickname?" asked Jeremy as he shook hands with Rocky. Rocky just laughed.  
  
"But enough with the pleasantries." said Gates. "We have pressing business to attend to."  
  
"Yes, that's right." said Jeremy. "I was briefed that we had a series of three heists that appear to be connected."  
  
"Yes, that's true." said Gates. "But I'm afraid there's been another development. The number of heists has doubled since you were briefed yesterday."  
  
"What?" said Jeremy. "Six heists? Same guys?"  
  
"We're not sure yet." said Rocky. "I'm sure you're going to find out though."  
  
"I'm printing out a list of the crime scenes." said Scooter as a page printed from his computer.  
  
"Thanks, we'll look into this." said Gates as he took the page.  
  
Gates showed the list to Jeremy. "I think we should look into the dorm at ASU* first." said Jeremy. "It was the first of the three and it's closest."  
  
*Arizona State University  
  
"Very well." said Gates. "Let's go."  
  
"Okay." said Jeremy as he and Gates turned to leave. On his way out, Jeremy turned to Rocky and Scooter and said "Nice meeting you guys."  
  
After the door closed, Rocky walked over to Scooter and said "I should be going with them."  
  
"Yeah, why's that?" asked Scooter as he went back to the computer.  
  
"Cause those guys haven't seen what happens first hand." said Rocky. "I've got combat experience and I've seen what the perps are capable of."  
  
"Rocky, I know you want revenge for your brothers," said Scooter "but this is an official FBI investigation. Get revenge on your own time."  
  
In the parking garage, Jeremy led Gates to a black Ford Crown Victoria. "There's my car." he said.  
  
"Ah, FBI standard." said Gates. "That Harley over there is Rocky's." he added while pointing to a customized Harley-Davidson with a flame job on the fuel tank and a Maltese cross on the sissy bars.  
  
"Maltese cross." observed Jeremy. "Is that a West Coast Choppers work?"  
  
"Yes indeed." said Gates. "Guess who that belongs to." he added as he pointed to a red Honda scooter.  
  
"Going out on a limb here. Scooter?" Jeremy guessed.  
  
"Of course." said Gates as he and Jeremy climbed into the Crown Vic.  
  
----------  
  
Shortly, Jeremy was driving towards Tempe with Agent Gates at his side. "So, what's the deal with Rocky and Scooter?" he asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Gates.  
  
"We normally don't bring in outsiders on cases like this." said Jeremy.  
  
"I told you Scooter's a computer expert." said Gates. "He was working with the company that was robbed at the time of one of the heists. He managed to see the whole thing."  
  
"Did they see him?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"No, he wasn't even on site." said Gates. "Scooter was programming a defense algorithim for their mainframe from his appartment in Seattle. He watched the heist through their webcam. The robbers later noticed he was jacked in and went after him. By then, he had already fled to the local police station."  
  
"And Rocky?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Rocky's a Gulf War veteran and a member of a biker gang." said Gates. "Or at least he was."  
  
"Yes?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"A couple of weeks ago, Rocky and his gang were pulled over at a truck stop when one of the heists occurred." said Gates. "A truck for the company was hijacked at the truck stop and his gang was caught in the crossfire. The officer who pulled them over was seriously injured and the rest of Rocky's gang didn't survive. We found him defending himself with the officer's shotgun."  
  
"Poor guy." said Jeremy.  
  
"He keeps asking to come with me." said Gates. "I can see he wants revenge for his 'brothers'. Scooter is just looking for answers as to who performed the robberies since they also want to shut him up."  
  
"And what are you looking for in this?" asked Jeremy.  
  
Gates' expression turned grim. "I'm looking to fulfill a promise I made to an old friend." said Gates.  
  
----------  
  
Hack, Slash, and Rocks walked into the lounge of their headquarters with their stolen computer.  
  
"Okay, first we give this thing to Dr. Frankenstein." said Rocks. "Then we can relax."  
  
"Dr. Frankenstein is out." said another man who entered the room. "I can take that for you."  
  
"Sure, you can take it." said Slash as he handed the computer to the other man.  
  
"How did it go?" asked the man.  
  
"They never knew what hit them." said Hack. "We went in, took their computer, and left them with a story no one will ever believe."  
  
"Speaking of which," said Rocks "I heard on the way in that the FBI was investigating the heist."  
  
"Ooh, this I have to see." said the man as he turned on a viewscreen.  
  
He watched as the Crown Vic pulled up in front of the dorm and Jeremy climbed out. "This is too perfect." said the man. "Just as Hack said, we have their treasure and no one will ever believe..."  
  
Suddenly, the man recognized the other FBI agent climbing out of the car and exclaimed "What the...Gates!"  
  
----------  
  
Jeremy and Agent Gates reached Tempe the following day. They found the dorm robbed by Hack, Slash, and Rocks two nights earlier and began their investigation.  
  
"We only had three guards in the room." said one guard. "That's all we had room for, but we thought it was enough. I guess we were wrong."  
  
"Did you see anything unusual happen during the heist?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Somehow, some kind of projectile fired through the wall and blew open that water pipe." said the guard as he pointed to the burst pipe which was now being repaired by a pair of plumbers.  
  
"We didn't find a round in the wall." said Gates.  
  
"Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw." said the guard.  
  
"Thank you, you've been helpful." said Jeremy as he and Gates walked away. "What do you make of that?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"I'm not sure yet." said Gates as he approached another guard.  
  
"Gates and Sanchez, FBI." said Jeremy. "Mr. Lewis, were you in the room at the time of the heist?"  
  
"No, I was manning the security cameras." said Lewis. "But we had one set up outside and we caught the getaway vehicle."  
  
"Do you have a record of this?" asked Gates.  
  
"Yes, it's on tape." said Lewis. "Do you want me to go get it?"  
  
"Yes, that would be perfect." said Jeremy.  
  
"Okay, I'll be right back." said Lewis.  
  
After he left, Jeremy turned to talk with Gates. "So, how's Julie doing?" he asked.  
  
"Better." said Gates. "She's regained use of her arm. She talks about returning to the field soon."  
  
"That's good to hear." said Jeremy. "Did they ever catch the guy who shot her?"  
  
"No, but we know who it was." said Gates. "There's nowhere he can hide."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll get him." said Jeremy as Lewis returned with the tape.  
  
"Here's the tape." said Lewis as he handed the tape to Gates. "I have to warn you, though. You're not going to believe what's on it."  
  
Jeremy and Gates watched the tape. It clearly showed the Hummer transforming and Hack and Slash climbing on top of it.  
  
"Whoa." said Jeremy.  
  
"You sound underwelmed." said Gates. "You're not surprised?"  
  
"I watch 'Monster Garage'." said Jeremy.  
  
"I see." laughed Gates.  
  
"Mr. Lewis, can you convert this footage into a computer file to be e-mailed?" asked Jeremy. "I think we should have our computer expert look at this."  
  
"Yeah, I can do that." said Lewis as he started to do that.  
  
----------  
  
A few minutes later, Scooter downloaded the file as Rocky joined him.  
  
"Whatcha got?" asked Rocky.  
  
"Gates and Sanchez just sent me a film clip of the heist in Tempe." said Scooter. "Wanna see it?"  
  
"Might as well." joked Rocky. "Nothin' else on."  
  
Scooter played the film clip and he and Rocky watched it. "Yup, definately the same guys." He turned around and noticed Rocky looking at the screen in shock. "Rocky? What's wrong?" asked Scooter.  
  
"That fox's head on the front of the Hummer." said Rocky as he pointed to a graphic of a fox's head on the hood of the Hummer. "There was one of those on the front of the Winnebago that took out my gang."  
  
Scooter looked at Rocky in shock.  
  
----------  
  
"You don't say." said Jeremy over the phone. "If it's the same guys, it might be important. Thanks, I'll see you later."  
  
Jeremy hung up and turned to Gates. "Rocky spotted a fox's head graphic on the hood of the Hummer." he said. "He says there was one just like it on the RV that attacked his gang."  
  
Gates rewound the tape and checked the front of the Hummer. "What do you think about this?"  
  
"If it's indeed the same group connected with both incidents," said Jeremy "the fox symbol might have some kind of personal significance to their leader."  
  
"You might be right." said Gates. "Let's get ready to go. We still have the heists in New Mexico and Colorado to investigate.  
  
"Okay." said Jeremy. "I think we're done here anyway. Scooter's got the video file."  
  
Jeremy then left the room. Gates started to follow, then stared at the video screen and the fox head graphic. "Curse you, Mayhem." he muttered. "You do have a successor."  
  
----------  
  
AN:So, what do you think so far? Please, read and review.  
  
Recently, fanfiction.net stopped allowing writers to devote an entire chapter to Author's Notes. As such, that prevents me from posting a chapter dedicated solely to profiles of the new characters. I've decided to instead post two profiles at the end of every chapter. I'll start with Flash and Gearbox.  
  
Flash  
  
Real name:Cassidy Lucas  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes  
  
Position:Fast Attack Driver  
  
Birthplace:Chicago  
  
Mask:Wormhole (opens a tunnel in space/time that's four times longer outside than inside)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Rocket (Dodge Viper GTS/Fast Attack Hovercraft)  
  
Bio:Flash was once a rising race car driver until a scandal involving stolen property got her banned from every racing series in the country. With nowhere else to turn, Flash turned to auto theft. Recently, she stole a car from the founder of The Foxes, but he decided to recruit her instead of anything more drastic. She had one requirement though...  
  
Gearbox  
  
Real name:Calvin Lucas  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes  
  
Position:Heavy Vehicle Driver  
  
Birthplace:Salt Lake City  
  
Mask:Leech (drains energy from a human target and converts it to an energy projectile)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Monster (Winnebago Chieftain/Mobile Command Center)  
  
Bio:Gearbox was a member of his sister's (Flash) racing team when he made the mistake of taking part in trading stolen property. After his sister was banned from racing, he went into fencing stolen property full time. Flash was hired by the Foxes after she was caught trying to steal their leader's car. Her one requirement was to hire Gearbox too.  
  
Thank you for reading. 


	2. The Past is Gone

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
-------------------  
  
The Past Is Gone...  
  
-------------------  
  
"You should have seen it." said Flash. "He completely underestimated me."  
  
Hack and Slash stood at the other side of the lounge. "Well, you should have seen us in Tempe." said Hack. "We were in that dorm room within five minutes."  
  
"Yeah." said Slash. "We did pretty good until the guards found us."  
  
"I told you not to mention the guards!" yelled Hack.  
  
"Remember who saved your bacon." said Rocks.  
  
"I bet Blades is going to have some kind of tale to tell." said Gearbox.  
  
"Knowing him, he'll probably exagerate a lot." said Flash.  
  
"How do we know he mustered enough courage to pull it off?" asked Hack.  
  
"He pulled it off." said another man who was wearing glasses. "I heard about it through the grapevine."  
  
Just then, the helicopter pilot from the Colorado heist walked in with the signal emitter. "Dr. Frankenstein, I believe this is yours." he said.  
  
"Thank you." said the man with glasses. "Good job, Blades. But where are the Wasps?"  
  
"I sent them back to the lab." said Blades. "But...uh...I have something to tell you."  
  
"What? What?" stammered Frankenstein.  
  
"One of the Wasps bought it in the field." said Blades. "But don't worry. I activated the self-destruct system."  
  
"You had me scared for a second." said Frankenstein. "Good thing you did that. We certainly don't want any evidence leading back to us."  
  
----------  
  
"This piece appears to have broken off in the crash." said the professor from the Colorado lab. "It's a radio receiver of some kind."  
  
"What was it attached to?" asked Jeremy as he looked over the smashed-up robot in the laboratory's supply room.  
  
"It seems to have once been here." said the professor as he pointed to a spot in the robot's head where wires were exposed. "I followed these wires and found this."  
  
Gates took a look. "There's enough explosive in here to leave a six-foot deep crater." he said. "It definately would have left no evidence behind."  
  
"Looks like we've got another partner." said Jeremy. "Her name is Lady Luck."  
  
"The robot's memory banks are too badly damaged to get any information from them." said the scientist. "We can't tell who built it from its construction or design."  
  
"I don't think we'll have to." said Jeremy. "Can you do a detailed analysis on the parts used?"  
  
"I think we can." said the professor.  
  
"After that," said Jeremy "we can probably give the list of parts to our computer expert and see what robot manufacturers use the same brands."  
  
"That could work." said the professor. "I'll get right on it."  
  
Gates turned to the scientist and said "While he's doing that, why don't you describe the helicopter that attacked?"  
  
"I can show you." she said.  
  
She led the two FBI agents out to the parking lot and showed them a car. "The cabin of the helicopter looked a lot like this." she said. "Just take away the wheels, fenders, and everything rear of the b-pillars and add rotor blades, a tail boom, and weapons."  
  
"Weapons?" asked Gates. "What kind of weapons?"  
  
"I'm not sure." said the scientist. "I didn't get a good look, but it used a harpoon gun to steal the signal emitter."  
  
"So you're saying the helicopter looked like the passenger compartment of a Volkswagen Golf?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Yes, only it was blue, not red." said the scientist.  
  
"Thank you, that will be all." said Gates.  
  
The scientist went back to her duties. Gates turned to Jeremy and said "It looks like we're onto something big."  
  
"I think you've known that from the start." said Jeremy.  
  
"Yes?" asked Gates.  
  
"Ever since I got involved with this investigation, it has been nowhere near FBI standard." said Jeremy. "Secret base with a massive supercomputer, outsider help, an M.O. that could've come out of a sci-fi flick. This is something really big and you've known all this time."  
  
"Yes, I have." said Gates. "It's time I came clean. I believe this to be a continuation of another crew's heists from the nineteen-eighties. Have you ever heard of the Peaceful Nations Alliance?"  
  
"PNA? Of course I have." said Jeremy. "They were absorbed into the United Nations a few years back. Why do you ask?"  
  
"In the eighties, one of their security chiefs defected to a criminal organization called the Contraworld." explained Gates. "Back then, they were experimenting with vehicles that could transform from seemingly mundane civilian vehicles to advanced combat vehicles. I know this sounds very unbelievable but..."  
  
"Agent Gates? Agent Sanchez?" asked the scientist. "The professor has finished compiling his list."  
  
In the lab, the professor showed off the list of the robot's components. "I decided to keep the explosive off the list since it's highly unlikely that civilian robots would be using it." he explained. "This is what's left." he added as he handed Jeremy a PDA with the list on it.  
  
"Thanks for putting it on a PDA." said Gates. "That'll make it easier to send to our computer expert."  
  
----------  
  
Back at base, Scooter ran the list through the computer.  
  
"I can't believe we actually have lists of parts suppliers for robotics companies." said Rocky.  
  
"You'd be amazed at what's in this computer." said Scooter. "I'm surprised it can't just solve the crime for us."  
  
"Computers are not omnipotent." said Rocky.  
  
"Nope, sure aren't." said Scooter. Just then, the computer stopped on a listing. "Hold on, we've got something." said Scooter as he clicked on the listing.  
  
"Weller Robotics." read Rocky. "That it?"  
  
"Apparently so." said Scooter. "Albuquerque, New Mexico."  
  
----------  
  
Jeremy and Gates arrived at Weller Robotics in Albuquerque. "This is the place Scooter came up with." said Jeremy.  
  
"Are you sure about this?" asked Gates.  
  
"I agree it's a long shot." said Jeremy. "But it's still worth a try."  
  
They entered the building and were told to wait by the company president's secretary since he wasn't in. Two hours later, the president finally showed up. Little did they know, he was the one known as Dr. Frankenstein.  
  
"Charlie Weller?" asked Gates. "I'm Agent Gates, this is Agent Sanchez. We're from the FBI and we need to ask you a few questions."  
  
"About what?" asked Frankenstein.  
  
"We have uncovered evidence that might link your company to a series of electronic equipment heists." said Jeremy.  
  
Frankenstein nervously conducted an interview with the two agents for twenty minutes.  
  
"Well, it's true that we use a lot of these components in our robots." said Frankenstein. "It's also true that we are experimenting with a human-like robot. In fact, I started my research into robots by studying human anatomy. If someone in my company is using our project to perform these robberies, I think we can find this person with your help."  
  
"Thanks for your offer." said Jeremy. "We'll just look around. Thank you for your time."  
  
With that, Jeremy and Gates left Frankenstein's office. After they left, Frankenstein breathed a sigh of relief and yelled "I'm going to kill Blades!" He then pushed a button on his intercom and said "Don, has everybody gone home for the day?"  
  
"Yes, sir." replied Don over the intercom. "I'm just about to leave myself."  
  
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." said Frankenstein. He then pushed another button on the intercom and said "Initiate security protocol Alpha. Code word: Killroy."  
  
----------  
  
"Did Weller seem nervous to you?" asked Jeremy as he and Gates walked along a catwalk overlooking the production line.  
  
"More than your usual suspect." said Gates. "He's hiding something."  
  
"Obviously." said Jeremy. "What do you suggest?" he asked as a robotic arm started to elevate towards him.  
  
"Right now, I suggest you take cover!" yelled Gates. He and Jeremy dove for cover a split second before the robotic arm rammed into the wall just inches from where they were standing.  
  
----------  
  
Scooter watched the attack over the security cameras he had hacked into. "Holy cow!" he yelled as he started typing rapidly.  
  
"Can you override the security protocol from here?" asked Rocky.  
  
"I'm trying! I'm trying!" yelled Scooter.  
  
----------  
  
Jeremy and Gates pulled out their sidearms. The robotic arm started to reach for Jeremy. He responded by shooting out the arm's hydraulics hoses. When the arm tried to grab him, hydraulic fluid sprayed from the shot-up hoses. The arm's gripper was rendered useless.  
  
"Jeremy!" yelled Gates. Jeremy turned around and saw another robotic arm, this one with a welding attachment. The welder fired a blast of flame at him, but he managed to dodge. He fired his gun at the hoses on the side of the arm. This time, he hit the arm's propane tube. The resulting explosion broke the arm in half.  
  
The half that wasn't attached to the ceiling dropped onto the railing of the catwalk. Jeremy climbed on it and said "There must be a computer controlling the system!"  
  
"What makes you say that?" asked Gates.  
  
"That gripper would've stopped after I shot it if someone was controlling it directly!" said Jeremy. "Since it didn't, it must be running on some kind of program!"  
  
"Find it fast!" yelled Gates as he raised his gun towards another robot arm that was approaching him.  
  
Jeremy climbed the fallen robot arm and stopped when he reached the broken section. He saw flames coming out of the broken propane hose. He holstered his weapon and steadied himself. Then, he jumped towards the other part of the arm and grabbed onto it. He hauled himself up and crawled along it until he spotted a large box-like object at the center of the room.  
  
Gates fired a few shots at the arm that was attacking him, but it still came. Eventually, it grabbed at his chest. He stepped away, but the gripper caught his tie.  
  
Jeremy looked at the object in the center of the room and read the panel on the side. "Control Computer." he said. "This is what I'm looking for."  
  
"Jeremy!" yelled Gates. Jeremy looked and saw his partner's dire situation. He then steadied himself, pulled out his gun, and aimed at the computer. "Let my partner go!" he ordered, then fired. Unfortunately, the outer shell was bulletproof and the bullet ricocheted into the skylight.  
  
"Oh great!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Jeremy!" called another voice, but it wasn't Gates. It was Scooter.  
  
"Scooter?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Jeremy, I hacked into the security system!" said Scooter over the building's PA system. "I've been trying to shut down the production line and I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is I can't shut down the production line or the security protocol."  
  
"And what's the good news?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"I can activate the maintenance protocol." said Scooter. "That should open the panel on the control computer."  
  
"Do so!" yelled Jeremy. "Please, do so!"  
  
"Already on it." said Scooter as he activated the maintenance protocol. Jeremy watched as the panel that had deflected his shot opened. He looked into the computer and saw its circuitboards, chips, and hard drives.  
  
Jeremy aimed into the computer's guts, said "In the famous words of my home state's governor, 'Hasta la vista, baby!'", and fired. The bullet tore through the computer and a shower of sparks signaled the computer's end.  
  
Lights flickered, various robotic arms jerked around, and another computer started sounding a warning buzzer. Jeremy held on tight to the arm he was on and Gates started to catch his breath, then undo his tie.  
  
Jeremy climbed down off the robotic arm and checked on his partner. "Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"Next time, I'm wearing a clip-on." joked Gates.  
  
"I think we've just removed all doubt that Weller knows something." said Jeremy.  
  
"I think you're right." said Gates. "Let's check on his office."  
  
"Scooter, you with us?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Almost lost you there, but I'm still here." said Scooter.  
  
"We might need you to hack into Weller's computer." said Jeremy.  
  
"Looking forward to it." said Scooter.  
  
----------  
  
Jeremy and Gates headed to Dr. Frankenstein's office. He had fled while his security system tried to do away with the two agents. Jeremy booted up the computer, but was stalled by the computer's password.  
  
Gates was on the phone with Scooter. "We can't seem to get past the computer's password." he said.  
  
"I'm on it." said Scooter. Within seconds, the computer's password screen disappeared and they had access to Frankenstein's files.  
  
"Most of this appears to be business-related." said Jeremy. "Wait, what's this?" he asked as he spotted a strange icon. He clicked on the icon and a new range of files opened up.  
  
"What do you think?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Let's take a look." said Gates.  
  
Jeremy opened one of the files and the design schematics for the robot bikers' motorcycle appeared.  
  
"Now, we're getting somewhere." said Jeremy.  
  
"Fox-2 Rat." said Gates as he read the label on the file. "Try the next one."  
  
Jeremy closed the file and brought up the next one. The file showed the design schematics of Blades' Volkswagen GTI. It had the label "Fox-3 Rabbit".  
  
Jeremy went to the next file. This one was the design schematics of Flash's Viper. It was labelled "Fox-4 Rocket".  
  
"Next one?" asked Jeremy. Gates nodded. Jeremy opened the next file. It was a design schematic of Rocks' Hummer and was labelled "Fox-5 Lion".  
  
"There's one more file." said Jeremy.  
  
"We might as well open it." said Gates. Jeremy opened the file. It showed the design schematics of Gearbox's Winnebago. The label read "Fox-6 Monster".  
  
"That's all the vehicles that performed the heists." said Gates.  
  
"Something's weird." said Jeremy. "The listed files were for Fox-2 through Fox-6, but there's no Fox-1."  
  
"Scooter, are you getting this?" asked Gates.  
  
"I'm looking through the files, but I don't see one for Fox-1." said Scooter.  
  
"Maybe it's not on this computer." said Jeremy.  
  
"Hey, I found something else." said Scooter. "Check it out."  
  
Jeremy pulled up the file Scooter was talking about. It was a detailed schematic of a secret base. It was simply labelled "Foxhole".  
  
"This won't help much if we can't find this place." said Jeremy.  
  
"Luckily, there's a location in the file." said Scooter. He then opened the location on the computer.  
  
"Good work." said Jeremy.  
  
"Wait, can you find out who owns the property?" asked Gates.  
  
"Let's see." said Scooter. "There you go."  
  
Jeremy and Gates looked at the screen. The name of the property's owner was displayed on the screen: Malcolm Darwood.  
  
"I knew it!" yelled Gates.  
  
"What?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"I'll explain on the way." said Gates. "Let's go."  
  
"Wait, after what we just went through, don't you think we should get some backup?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Good idea." said Gates. "I'll see what we can get. There's someone I think we should bring on this one."  
  
"You mean Rocky?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Of course." said Gates.  
  
"You hear that, Rock?" asked Scooter.  
  
"Already on my way." said Rocky.  
  
----------  
  
Jeremy and Gates were also on their way to the location listed in the file.  
  
"So, you want to tell about Malcolm Darwood?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"It was going to come out sooner or later, so here it goes." said Gates. "When Miles Mayhew, the security chief from the PNA, defected to the Contraworld, he also killed the scientist who headed the transforming vehicle project and stole the plans for nine vehicles. The Contraworld used the plans to construct said vehicles and used them to commit crimes around the world. Miles Mayhew, now known as Miles Mayhem, headed this group known as 'VENOM'."  
  
"And you think VENOM is behind these heists?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"No, VENOM is no more." said Gates. "The plans stolen by Miles Mayhem constituted less than half of the plans for the project. The PNA used the remaining plans to create a counter to VENOM. Their group was called 'MASK'. Their leader was a proud supporter of the PNA, leading industrialist Matt Trakker. He was also the brother of the scientist killed by Miles Mayhem."  
  
"How did the war end?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"The war between MASK and VENOM lasted over a decade." said Gates. "Eventually, MASK won and VENOM was arrested. Miles Mayhem died in prison in August 2001."  
  
"And how does Malcolm Darwood fit into all this?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"After Miles Mayhem died, we noticed a lot of activity between other former VENOM agents and various businessmen." said Gates. "One of those was Malcolm Darwood. We started an investigation, but the events of September 11 forced us off the case. We had one agent who was close to cracking the case, but she was soon put into the hospital by a sniper we believe was working for Darwood."  
  
"She?" asked Jeremy. "You don't mean..."  
  
"Yes." said Gates. "It was Julie. She was about to update her superiors at the time of the attack. Matt Trakker was assisting us in the investigation and she was talking with him about something. She turned to ask him something and that's when it happened. Eyewitnesses said if she wasn't turning at the time, she would've been shot through the heart."  
  
"Instantly fatal." said Jeremy. "She's lucky."  
  
"I promised to Matt Trakker right then and there that I'd try to prevent VENOM from rising again." stated Gates. "No matter what it took, I would stop them."  
  
"I'll help you in that respect." said Jeremy.  
  
"Thank you." said Gates. "There's a couple of other things I have to tell you about MASK. I'll tell you later."  
  
----------  
  
A few hours later, Jeremy and Gates arrived at the forest property indicated on Frankenstein's computer. Rocky and an FBI SWAT Team were already there.  
  
"What's the story?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"We're just about ready to go in." said the SWAT Team leader. "We just need the go-ahead."  
  
"Just a second." said Gates. He walked over to Rocky and said "Rocky, we need you out here with the backup teams. If something goes wrong, we need someone to back us up."  
  
"Understood." said Rocky. "Not accepted, but understood."  
  
"Good." said Gates. "Okay, we're ready."  
  
"Alright, men." said the leader. "Let's go."  
  
With that, the SWAT Team got up and entered Darwood's property in three groups of five. Jeremy and Gates went with one team. Darwood, the man who had greeted Hack and Slash when they got back from Tempe, watched calmly as the FBI approached.  
  
"So, Dr. Frankenstein." said Darwood. "Are those the two FBI agents who interrogated you in your office?"  
  
"That's them." said Frankenstein, who had changed out of his casual clothes and into a black and yellow jumpsuit. "Are we ready?"  
  
"Of course." said Darwood. "Foxes, mobilize."  
  
With that, Hack, Slash, Rocks, Gearbox, Flash, Blades, and Dr. Frankenstein rushed out to meet the SWAT Team.  
  
"Shouldn't we be doing this with our vehicles?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"Do we need them?" asked Rocks.  
  
One group of troopers entered a grove of trees and looked around. After seeing the area was apparently clear, one trooper said "Area clear."  
  
Right after that, Slash jumped out of the bushes, held his hands out towards the troopers, and said "Surge, on!" A burst of electricity shot from his hands and rendered all but one of the troopers unconcious.  
  
The sole remaining trooper aimed his rifle at Slash and ordered "Don't move! This is a raid!"  
  
"Gecko grab, on!" said Hack from the trees. A green beam shone from his hand and pulled the rifle out of the trooper's hands. Suddenly disarmed, the trooper surrendered.  
  
Another group of troopers came to a fork in the path. Two went one way, while the other three went the other way. Gearbox, Flash, and Dr. Frankenstein watched them split up.  
  
"Okay, you take those two." said Frankenstein. "I'll take the other three."  
  
"Can you handle them?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"Trust me." said Frankenstein.  
  
Flash watched the two troopers as they walked to a clearing and stopped. "Okay, now." said Flash. "Wormhole, on!" A beam shone from her mask and opened a tunnel in space. Gearbox jumped in.  
  
The two troopers were taken by surprise when the tunnel opened behind them. Gearbox grabbed one of the troopers and called "Leech, on!" A green glow surrounded his glove and the trooper lost conciousness.  
  
"Drop him now!" yelled the other trooper.  
  
"Leech, fire!" called Gearbox. A green energy bolt fired from his mask and knocked out the other trooper.  
  
The other three entered another clearing and caught Dr. Frankenstein's attention. "That's good." said Frankenstein. "Stay right there. Droid, on!" A red energy bolt fired from his mask and hit the trooper bringing up the rear. The trooper dropped his rifle.  
  
"Subdue your teammates." said Frankenstein. The trooper snuck up on the next man, grabbed him, and punched him out. His other teammate noticed what happened and stared in shock.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked. The trooper punched him in the stomach, then hit him in the back of the neck, knocking him out instantly.  
  
"Now handcuff yourself." said Frankenstein. The trooper took out his handcuffs and restrained himself.  
  
Closer to the indicated location of the hideout, the remaining troopers reached a clearing with Jeremy and Gates. Jeremy took out his walkie-talkie, pushed the button, and said "Bravo Team, report."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Charlie Team, report." said Jeremy when Bravo Team didn't respond.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
"We've got a problem." said Jeremy. "Neither Bravo Team or Charlie Team is responding."  
  
"Where are they?" asked Gates.  
  
"In our custody." said Rocks as he approached. "You'll get them back if you leave now."  
  
"Who are you?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"I'm a representative of the Foxes." said Rocks. "Leave now, or the deaths of your men will be on your hands."  
  
"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Gates.  
  
"This will vouch for me." said Rocks as he threw a pair of badges to Jeremy.  
  
Jeremy picked up the badges and looked them over. "They're from the leaders of Bravo and Charlie Teams." he announced.  
  
"I'll leave you here to ponder their fate." said Rocks as he left.  
  
"What do we do now?" asked Gates.  
  
"Work on a plan." said Jeremy.  
  
----------  
  
Within minutes, Rocky showed up with the remaining two SWAT Teams. "What's the story?" he asked.  
  
"This is now a hostage situation." said Jeremy. "We know they have at least two, as many as ten, and possibly more that we don't know about. I figured that if all of us went in, this was not going to end well."  
  
"So, what's your plan?" asked Rocky.  
  
"On Jeremy's suggestion, he and I will go in and look for the hostages." said Gates as he handed Rocky his cel phone. "If we need backup, I'll text message you."  
  
"We'll come running." said Rocky.  
  
"Thank you." said Gates. "Okay, let's go."  
  
Jeremy and Gates snuck into the base entrance. Jeremy took a quick look around and directed Gates to hide behind a crate. Jeremy soon joined him.  
  
"We've made it this far." said Gates. "I hope Scooter can get us the rest of the way."  
  
"Thanks for the reminder." said Jeremy as he took out his cel phone and called Scooter. "Yo, Scooter."  
  
"I know. I'm working on it." said Scooter. "I could probably do this with a laptop, it's so simple. Okay, it's done."  
  
"Scooter's started the loop on the security cameras." said Jeremy.  
  
"Good thing we let him look over the plans for the hideout." said Gates. "Where are the dungeons?"  
  
"This way." said Jeremy.  
  
He led Gates towards the dungeons and was greeted with the sound of arguing.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Gates.  
  
"Sounds like two of the SWAT troopers." said Jeremy. "One of them is saying the other beat him up."  
  
"Hmmm, sounds suspicious." said Gates. "Let's check it out."  
  
Jeremy snuck over to the bend in the hallway and took a quick look around it before jumping back. "There's another android standing guard."  
  
"What are you going to do?" asked Gates.  
  
"Check its reflexes." said Jeremy as he took out his badge. He snuck over to the corner with his sidearm in one hand and his badge in the other. He threw the badge past the coridor and the android turned to aim at it. As it did, Jeremy shot it in the chest. The android fell back and shut down.  
  
"Nice shot." said Gates as Jeremy checked out the android. "But how did you know it was an android?"  
  
"Didn't move like a human." said Jeremy as he confirmed the nature of the guard. "Also, most human guards say something when they see you."  
  
"Let's keep going." said Gates.  
  
They approached the arguing voices and discovered that they were indeed the SWAT troopers.  
  
"Agent Gates." said one trooper.  
  
"Agent Sanchez." said the leader of Bravo Team.  
  
"Are you guys okay?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Mostly." said Bravo Leader. "Somehow, these guys turned Johnson against his teammates and subdued the rest of us with little trouble."  
  
"Do you know where the key is?" asked Gates.  
  
"Electronic locks controled from another room." said one trooper. "No key."  
  
"No problem." said Jeremy as he took out his cel phone and called Scooter. "Scooter, about these locks..."  
  
"Already on it." said Scooter while he worked at his computer. Just then, the locks opened and the troopers started to leave their cells. Jeremy bid Scooter goodbye and Gates made carefully sure to keep Johnson away from his teammates.  
  
"We'll discus your betrayal later." said Gates to Johnson. "Right now, let's get you out of here."  
  
Just then, Blades walked in on them. "Okay, what's going on..." he started, then noticed the dozen FBI personel in front of him. "Uh, excuse me. I just remembered something." With that, he ran.  
  
"Let's go." said Jeremy. "It's not going to take him long to notify his superiors."  
  
The agents and troopers left the dungeon en masse. They made their way back to the entrance to find that Blade had alerted his teammates who were now waiting for him.  
  
"Everybody, take cover!" said Gates. Jeremy and the troopers complied.  
  
"We should be safe for now." said Jeremy.  
  
Rocks looked towards them and called "Pierce, fire!" A shot fired from his mask and tore through their cover, hitting one of the troopers in the leg.  
  
"I stand corrected." said Jeremy.  
  
Blades then looked in their direction and called "Rotor, fire!" A yellow blade shot from his mask and flew towards the agents spinning in the air. It came to rest in the wall behind them.  
  
"There was something else you wanted to tell me?" said Jeremy.  
  
"Yes." said Gates as he fired at their assailants. "Back when MASK and VENOM began, Andrew Trakker..."  
  
"The scientist behind the project?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Yes." said Gates. "He was part of an archaeological expedition that discovered a strange energy crystal. He managed to focus the crystal's energy into several masks and give them bizarre powers."  
  
"Like firing rotor blades or armor pirecing rounds?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Exactly." said Gates. "Both sides managed to channel this energy to create their own weapons. We never recovered VENOM's crystal or whatever they were using to power their masks."  
  
"It looks like these guys have it." said Jeremy as he exchanged fire with their opponents.  
  
Gearbox ran to his Winnebago, the Monster, and climbed in.  
  
"I think we might need some help." said Gates.  
  
"Got it." said Jeremy as he took out his cel phone and dialed Gates' number. He then sent a text message to Rocky.  
  
Outside, Rocky received the text message and said "We've got a problem. Let's roll!"  
  
"But how do we get in there?" asked one trooper. "I'm sure their sensors will pick us up immediately."  
  
"I noticed they've got a group of bikers patroling the area." said Rocky. "I'm thinking I can sneak in with them."  
  
"Don't you think their sensors will notice if there's an extra biker?" asked the trooper.  
  
"Not if one of them's not there." said Rocky. He started up his Harley and rode after the patroling biker androids.  
  
"Since these are androids according to Jeremy, I guess I don't have to worry about moral complications." said Rocky as he pulled up alongside one of the bikers and pulled out a shotgun.  
  
"Hey, you ever ride with the Angels?" asked Rocky. When the android started to pull a weapon, Rocky blasted it with his shotgun and said "You are now." When the android and its bike fell out of the formation, Rocky took its place.  
  
The three android bikers rode into the base with Rocky. He stopped and let the others ride on ahead. He took a knife, cut the bike's fuel line, and whispered "Sorry, Jesse."  
  
The three androids raced into the vehicle bay and surrounded the Monster. "Wait, where's the other guy?" asked Darwood.  
  
The Monster's forward section split down the middle and opened to reveal a small turret/cockpit with two guns. The rear section elevated with a pair of cannons on it and a radar dish swung up.  
  
The motorcycles, called the Rats, went through the same transformation. Guns extended from the frame rails and headlights. Missiles were revealed from the fuel tanks.  
  
"Now, we've got you." said Gearbox.  
  
"Freight train!" called Rocky as he tore into the bay on his Harley and dropped it onto its side. Rocky managed to pull himself off as it slid into the Rats. He then took a large pistol and shot the fuel trail. It caught fire and quickly burned over to the crashed Harley which promptly exploded, taking the three androids with it.  
  
"That's for my brothers." said Rocky.  
  
Gearbox tried to move the Monster, but the explosion had taken out one of his tires. He had no choice but to quickly take a fire extiguisher to it.  
  
"That should keep 'em busy." said Rocky. "Let's get out of here."  
  
"Just one problem." said Jeremy as he pointed to the Rats. Rocky looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the bikes had separated into three smaller robots each.  
  
"They just don't like making it easy." said Rocky.  
  
"Pick your shots carefully." said Gates as he aimed his handgun at the approaching robots.  
  
"How many shots you got left?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Full clip." said Gates. "I reloaded just before we went in and I haven't fired since."  
  
"Me too." said Jeremy. "Except for when I shot the android guard."  
  
"Only fired one shot each." said Rocky. "Somebody want this pistol?"  
  
"I can take it." said the leader of Team Charlie. Rocky gave him the gun and he pointed it at the robots.  
  
Jeremy aimed at one of the robots and fired. He hit one of the robot's legs and dropped it quickly. Gates followed suit and took out another robot. Both agents repeated their actions and took out two more robots. The Charlie Leader fired on the robots himself and nailed two himself.  
  
Rocky fired his shotgun at the robots and knocked out two robots at once. A third managed to get close to him and he shattered it with a well-placed shotgun blast. "That's all of them." he said.  
  
"Let's book." said Jeremy.  
  
"I agree." said Gates. "This situation has progressed beyond our capabilities."  
  
As the FBI personel filed out of the base, Darwood yelled "Stop them!"  
  
"Stop this!" growled Rocky as he fired another shotgun blast into a fuel pump. The resulting fire covered his group's escape.  
  
"Don't just stand there!" yelled Darwood. "Put that fire out!"  
  
----------  
  
"Looks like you got your revenge." said Jeremy when he and the others had returned to their secret headquarters.  
  
"Cost me my hog." said Rocky. "Fair trade, I guess."  
  
"Jeremy, I've been meaning to ask you something." said Gates. "How did you know to shoot the androids in the chest?"  
  
"Weller said he based his robots on human anatomy." explained Jeremy. "I figured if we, as humans, have our hearts in our chests, then the androids might have something just as important there."  
  
"Hey guys, I've got something." said Scooter as he worked at his computer. "According to this, VENOM conducted a heist at Duke University in 1985. There was a secret project involving a laser going on and VENOM decided to steal it, but they were unsuccessful. The project was moved to a different research center shortly before the heist."  
  
"Malcolm Darwood attended Duke University." said Gates. "I saw the diploma on his wall while I was interrogating him. He might have run into Miles Mayhem the night of the heist."  
  
"Scooter, was Malcolm Darwood at Duke when the heist occurred?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Class of '86." said Scooter. "And get this. He was on the debate team. They called him 'The Fox' since he was so cunning."  
  
"Unfortunately, we don't have any evidence other than what we saw with our own eyes." said Jeremy. "Without solid proof, it's just two FBI agents against a leading industrialist and his legal department."  
  
"Weller Robotics is owned by Darwood Industries." said Gates. "I'm afraid they're off the hook as well."  
  
"Plus, we didn't slow them down that much." said Rocky. "So, what are we going to do."  
  
"Here's what we're going to do." said Gates. "Jeremy, there was something else I wanted to tell you."  
  
"Go ahead." said Jeremy.  
  
"Every agent I've worked with on this case has secretly been under a test." explained Gates. "VENOM isn't the only faction to rise from the dead. The FBI has been working with former PNA operatives to create a new MASK team. The agents I've been working with were being tested to see if they were of the caliber to lead the second MASK team."  
  
"I was being tested?" said Jeremy. "How did I do?"  
  
"Very well." said Gates. "You did better than any of the others. In fact, I have selected you as the leader of the new MASK team."  
  
"You have?" replied Jeremy. "I...I don't know what to say."  
  
"I was hoping you'd say yes." said Gates.  
  
"Sir, why didn't you lead the new MASK?" asked Scooter.  
  
"For the same reason none of the original MASK agents are returning." explained Gates. "I feel that I am past my prime and am no longer fit to lead the team. In fact, I am planning my retirement."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that." said Jeremy. "I accept your offer and I hope to live up to your expectations."  
  
"That is what I wanted to hear." said Gates. "Your first order of business as the leader of the second MASK team is to select the rest of the team. The profiles of the candidates are on this disc." he added as he handed a disc to Jeremy. "Scooter and Rocky are candidates as well."  
  
"Scooter, Rocky, I would like to have you on this team." said Jeremy. "Will you join?"  
  
"I'm in." said Scooter.  
  
"Me too." said Rocky.  
  
"Then the new MASK is a reality." said Gates.  
  
----------  
  
AN:And there you have it. A new MASK team is forming and the investigation is heating up.  
  
As promised, I will now post two more character profiles. This time, they will belong to Darwood's other two vehicle experts.  
  
Blades  
  
Real name:Frank Kelly (no relation)  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes  
  
Position:Helicopter Pilot  
  
Birthplace:Santa Fe  
  
Mask:Rotor (fires rotor blades at opponents)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Rabbit (Volkswagen Golf GTI/Recon Helicopter)  
  
Bio:Blades was a flight instructor at one of New Mexico's top flight schools. He quit after a student took him for a terrifying joyride. After that, he turned to smuggling to make a living. After an encounter with the Mexican mafia, his incredible cowardice forced him to break a contract. He ran to Malcolm Darwood for protection and joined the Foxes.  
  
Rocks  
  
Real name:Richard Bates  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes  
  
Position:Armor Expert  
  
Birthplace:Cincinatti  
  
Mask:Pierce (fires energy bolts that can pierce thick cover)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Lion (Hummer H1/Siege Tower)  
  
Bio:Rocks never had much concern for his fellow man. He's spent much of his life trying to figure out how to make other people's lives miserable. He eventually learned the best possible way to cut through most metal armors to break into safes. Malcolm Darwood learned of his prowess and made an effort to recuit him. He was hard to find, but Darwood found him.  
  
Thank you for reading. We shall continue. 


	3. But Something Might Be Found

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
AN:This chapter will be a little less action-packed. I decided to use this one to introduce the new MASK agents. There will be a little plot advancement, so you can look forward to that.  
  
Anyways, please read and review.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
...But Something Might Be Found...  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Darwood looked over the heavily damaged vehicle bay. The Monster, while slightly damaged, could be repaired. The Wasp androids and Rats were a complete loss, however. Worse yet, the FBI now knew of this base's location.  
  
"A parent should never have to outlive his child." moaned Frankenstein as he picked up the pieces of the Wasp androids and Rats.  
  
"What do we do now?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"Right now, we salvage what we can and take it to our other base." said Darwood. "Also, there's the issue of the FBI."  
  
"What do we do about them?" asked Flash.  
  
"We try to find out what they're up to." said Darwood. "Hopefully, Frankenstein found their location."  
  
"That's right." said Frankenstein. "I managed to trace the source of whoever hacked into our systems."  
  
"Where is it?" asked Hack.  
  
"I'll show you a map." said Frankenstein.  
  
"Not him." said Darwood. "I want this in the hands of someone who can observe our enemies without arrousing suspicion. Blades, I want you to do it."  
  
"Me?" asked Blades. "Oh, okay. I'll do it. Frankenstein, where's that map?"  
  
----------  
  
"I dunno, it's kinda snug." said Scooter as he tried on his MASK outfit, a green and gray jumpsuit.  
  
"Maybe you should call the tailor." said Rocky.  
  
"We have more to worry about than just fashion." said Gates. "There's still the issue of what Darwood and his men are up to."  
  
"Don't worry." said Rocky. "We'll get 'em."  
  
"I hope so." said Gates. "It'll give me something else to talk about at my retirement dinner next week."  
  
"You shouldn't have told us that." joked Scooter. "You're gonna die now."  
  
Jeremy had changed into his own MASK outfit, a black and red jumpsuit, and was looking over the candidates for the new MASK team. "Okay, I think I have a selection for the team. I just need your approval."  
  
Gates walked over and looked at Jeremy's selections. "Looks fine to me." he said. "You may activate them."  
  
"If you say so." said Jeremy. He pushed a few keys on the computer.  
  
"Selections acknowledged." announced the computer's voice. "Displaying selected operatives in alphabetical order."  
  
The four men turned to look at a holographic projector. The image of an athletic man in his late twenties appeared. He was wearing blue jeans, hiking boots, a yellow flannel shirt, and a denim jacket. On the back of the jacket was a road reaching off to the horizon and the words "Team Banzai".  
  
"Personel: Chris Bush." said the computer. "Explosives and martial arts expert. Mask: Breaker."  
  
----------  
  
Glendale...  
  
"Okay, the place is all wired up." said Chris in his thick Texas accent. He had just rigged up an old building with explosives to demolish it. "We're just about ready to take down this old eyesore and replace it with a new eyesore."  
  
"Everybody's at a safe distance." said the foreman. "Let 'er rip."  
  
Just as Chris was about to push the button on the detonator, his MASK watch went off. "Oh no." he said. "Look, I gotta scoot. You want the honors?"  
  
"Sure." said the foreman as Chris handed him the detonator. Chris then ran to a Buick GSX and climbed in.  
  
"Is Chris' wife having a baby?" asked another worker as Chris started his car.  
  
"I don't think he's married." said the foreman as Chris drove off.  
  
----------  
  
The holographic imager dropped Chris' image and replaced it with that of a short man with black hair and a moustache. He was wearing a blue and yellow jumpsuit.  
  
"Personel: Enzo Castaldi." said the computer. "Auto mechanic. Mask: Torque."  
  
----------  
  
El Segundo...  
  
Enzo worked under a car on a lift while singing in Italian.  
  
"That's a nice song." said his co-worker. "What is it?"  
  
"It's 'American Pie' translated into Italian." said Enzo. "For some reason, there doesn't appear to be an Italian word for 'Chevy'." he joked.  
  
The co-worker laughed. Just then, Enzo's MASK watch went off. "You know, I tell you what." said Enzo. "Since you have such fine taste in music, I'll let you finish this car."  
  
"Thanks." said the co-worker as Enzo jumped into an old Fiat X1/9 and drove off.  
  
----------  
  
The holographic imager replaced Enzo's image with that of a young Chinese man wearing blue jeans and a "Free Tibet" t-shirt.  
  
"Personel: Wei Chang." announced the computer. "Heavy vehicle driver. Mask: Charger."  
  
----------  
  
Burbank...  
  
Wei slowly backed the truck he was driving up to the loading dock. After he got it back as far as it would go, he set the brakes and climbed out.  
  
"Nice job, Wei." said the dock foreman. "We'll get this thing unloaded and you can put this rig away."  
  
"Thanks." said Wei. It was right about this time that his MASK watch went off.  
  
"On second thought, I'll put it away." said the foreman. "You go do what you gotta do."  
  
"Thank you, sir." said Wei. He ran over to a Chevy SSR and climbed in.  
  
----------  
  
Wei's image was replaced by the holographic image of a very tall, muscular man with brownish-blond hair. He was wearing a green and yellow jumpsuit.  
  
"Personel: Kenny Harrison." announced the computer. "Survivalist. Mask: Noah."  
  
----------  
  
Will Rogers State Historic Park...  
  
A man closed in on a California condor caught in a trap. "I'm going to make somebody a very proud owner of you." he said.  
  
Just before he was about to take the condor into custody, Kenny jumped out of the bushes and tackled the trapper. "Don't you know that guy is on the protected species list?" he asked. Kenny quickly had the man handcuffed and took out his radio. "Teri, this is Kenny. I got the trapper."  
  
"Good work, Kenny." said Teri over the radio. "I'll be there in a minute."  
  
Suddenly, Kenny's MASK watch went off. "Uh oh." said Kenny. "Where can I put you so you don't run off?"  
  
A minute later, Teri showed up and was surprised to find the trapper hanging from a branch by his hands. Taped to his chest was a note that said "I got the call."  
  
----------  
  
Kenny's holographic image was replaced by an image of a brown-haired woman. She was wearing a white skirt and a red and white jacket.  
  
"Personel: Caitlin Horowitz." announced the computer. "High speed driver. Mask: Lightspeed."  
  
----------  
  
Irwindale Speedway, Arcadia...  
  
Caitlin drove around the track again, faster this time. "Come on, Cait." said her crew chief. "You can do it."  
  
"I know that." said Caitlin. "The car is holding up well."  
  
"You're almost qualified." said the chief. "Keep it going."  
  
As Caitlin was completing her final qualifying lap, her MASK watch went off. She sped across the finish line and the chief radioed her. "That's a new best." he said. "You're qualified."  
  
Caitlin parked the car and climbed out. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." she said. "But I have to run." She tapped her watch to show what she meant.  
  
"Okay, but hurry back." said the chief. "I seriously think you have a shot at this race."  
  
----------  
  
The computer replaced Caitlin's image with that of a young red-haired woman. She wore a white and gray jumpsuit with red crosses on the shoulders.  
  
"Personel: Laura Kennedy." announced the computer. "Field medic. Mask: Doctor."  
  
----------  
  
Cedars Sinai Medical Center...  
  
An ambulance pulled into the emergency entrance of the hospital. Laura and her partner quickly jumped out and carried out a man on a stretcher. "Two-car accident, minor head trauma." she announced. "Possible internal bleeding."  
  
"Thanks, we'll take him from here." said the doctor. As the doctors took the man away, Laura's MASK watch went off. The doctor looked over the man and said "I think Laura's right. This guy does have internal bleeding."  
  
"Let's get him to the O.R." said another doctor.  
  
The first doctor turned to Laura and told her "Good call, Kenne..." but she was gone.  
  
----------  
  
Laura's image was replaced by one of a man with curly reddish-brown hair. He was wearing brown dungarees, a white Aran sweater, and a brown bomber jacket. On the back of the jacket was an Irish coat-of-arms.  
  
"Personel: Liam O'Grady." said the computer. "Helicopter pilot. Mask: Twister."  
  
Liam's image was replaced by the image of a young blond man wearing sunglasses and a blue and white jumpsuit.  
  
"Personel: Max O'Grady." said the computer. "Infiltration expert. Mask: Whisper."  
  
"Two O'Gradys?" asked Scooter.  
  
"Cousins." said Jeremy. "Liam's from Ireland and Max is a resident Angelino."  
  
----------  
  
Somewhere over Beverly Hills...  
  
"There appears to be some kind of trouble on the Santa Monica Boulevarde." announced Liam from his helicopter. "There's a two-car accident that's taking up the westbound lanes. If you're heading that way, you'd best be taking an alternate route."  
  
"Thank you, Liam." said the disk jockey from the station. "And that was Liam O'Grady with the traffic report."  
  
Liam's MASK watch went off at that moment. "Oh, I'd better see if Max was chosen." he said.  
  
He flew over to Venice Beach and looked around. "Where could he be?" he asked. "A-ha!"  
  
He found Max taking part in a skateboarding competition. "Okay, who's next?" asked the emcee.  
  
"Please, allow me." said Max as he walked up to the ramp. He got onto his board and rolled down. He rolled up the opposite ramp and performed a rail slide. He reversed direction and did a hand plant when he reached the other side. He went back and spun in the air twice before coming back down. This time, he slid to a stop on his knees and took in the applause. In the middle of all the applause, his MASK watch went off. His cel phone followed.  
  
"Toss it to me." he told the guy who was holding it for him. The guy tossed him the phone and Max answered it. "Hello?"  
  
"Max, did you get the call?" asked Liam on the other end.  
  
"Yeah, just now." said Max.  
  
"I'm coming by to pick you up." said Liam and hung up.  
  
"Guys, I'm outta this comp." said Max. "Something's come up."  
  
Just then, Liam's helicopter landed in the parking lot and Max ran to it. "Let's go." said Liam.  
  
----------  
  
Max's holographic image was replaced by the image of a native American man wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, and a blue vest.  
  
"Personel: Michael Rainwolf." announced the computer. "Scientist. Mask: Heat."  
  
----------  
  
Redondo Beach...  
  
Michael took a sample of water collected from the ocean and compared it with the results of a test performed the previous year. "The polution levels appear to be decreasing."  
  
"So the process is working." said his assistant. "I guess we can be thankful for that."  
  
"Don't be so sure." said Michael. "There are still some areas we have to look into."  
  
"I can look into those if you'd like." said the assistant.  
  
"I'm not sure." said Michael just before his MASK watch went off. "Well, I suppose you'll have to. I've got another problem to take care of."  
  
"Oh, okay." said the assistant. "Good luck."  
  
----------  
  
The computer dropped Michael's image and announced "Personel selection complete."  
  
"Personel approved." said Gates. "Assemble Mobile Armored Strike Kommand...Two."  
  
----------  
  
Within a couple of hours, the new agents had gathered at the secret base. They were seated in chairs in the meeting room.  
  
"This is kind of exciting." said Kenny. "We've been chosen for the new team."  
  
"Yeah, I love all this intense waiting." said Max sarcasticly.  
  
"I agree." said Caitlin. "When's the new leader going to get here?"  
  
"Right now." said Jeremy as he entered with Scooter and Rocky. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Jeremy Sanchez, the team leader."  
  
"Nice threads." said Wei as he looked over Jeremy's outfit.  
  
"Thanks." said Jeremy. "But that's not important right now. We have a mission to discus."  
  
"Aye, go ahead." said Liam.  
  
"As you may be aware," said Jeremy "there has been a rash of electronic equipment heists over the last few weeks and we have discovered the group behind them."  
  
"It's a team of convicted criminals led by Malcolm Darwood." explained Scooter. "We believe they are continuing a series of heists performed by an organization called VENOM."  
  
"VENOM was the organization opposed by the original MASK." briefed Rocky.  
  
"Wait, Malcolm Darwood?" asked Chris. "I think I've demolished buildings for him in the past."  
  
"That's the one." said Jeremy.  
  
"Uh, it probably doesn't matter," said Enzo "but can you tell what the stolen equipment is for?"  
  
"Uh, that's beyond my expertise." said Jeremy half-embarrassed. "Scooter might know."  
  
"I have a list, but it all appears to be unrelated." said Scooter.  
  
"Let me take a look at it when you get a chance." said Michael. "I think I might be able to find a connection."  
  
"Speaking from first-hand experience," briefed Jeremy "this group is very well-armed and well-equipped. I think it would do us well to practice with our own equipment before engaging Darwood's group."  
  
"I second that." said Kenny. "I'd hate to go in there and find myself completely outgunned."  
  
"Okay, everybody go and get changed." said Jeremy. "I'll see you at the test site in half and hour."  
  
"On my way." said Chris. After that, everyone got up and headed for the locker rooms. Laura stayed behind, lost in thought.  
  
"Hey, red! You coming?" yelled Rocky.  
  
"Oh, uh, yeah." said Laura as she got up and followed.  
  
----------  
  
In the locker room, Max, Enzo, and Kenny changed out of their street clothes and into their MASK outfits.  
  
"So, what's your story?" asked Max as he zipped up his jumpsuit.  
  
"I used to be a mechanic in the Italian army." said Enzo as he checked his tool kit. "I was discharged following a classified assigment, the details I cannot divulge at this time."  
  
"Ah, you can tell us." said Kenny. "We ain't got nothing to hide."  
  
"Well, okay." said Enzo. "It involved a group of men. They wore shirts, weighed in between 100 and 300 pounds, and were similarly sworn to secrecy."  
  
"Never mind." said Max.  
  
----------  
  
In the ladies' locker room, Caitlin and Laura got into their MASK outfits.  
  
"So what do you think?" asked Caitlin.  
  
"Nice." said Laura without really looking.  
  
"Is something wrong?" asked Caitlin. "You've been distant and distracted since the briefing."  
  
"It's that blonde guy with the sunglasses." said Laura. "I know him from somewhere, but I can't remember where."  
  
----------  
  
Out in the hallway, Chirs and Liam were comparing the designs on the backs of their jackets.  
  
"This is me family crest." explained Liam. "It is my way of showing support for the clan O'Grady."  
  
"This is for nothing so traditional." said Chris of his jacket. "This, of course, represents my favorite movie of all time, 'The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the Eighth Dimension.'"  
  
"I've heard of that movie." said Michael. "It's a real sci-fi cult classic."  
  
"Hey, guys!" yelled Max as he entered. "Are we just about ready to go?"  
  
"Aye, we're just waiting on everyone else." said Liam.  
  
"Okay, guys." said Jeremy as he entered. "Let's get ready."  
  
The other agents joined the rest of the team. "Are we ready to go?" asked Enzo.  
  
"Yeah, we're ready." said Jeremy. "Everybody report to the vehicle bay."  
  
----------  
  
In the vehicle bay, the agents were introduced to their vehicles.  
  
"Unfortunately, we only had the budget for six vehicles." said Jeremy. "That means the other six of us are going to have to ride shotgun."  
  
"So who gets what?" asked Wei.  
  
"We've already reserved vehicles for myself, Rocky, Liam, Caitlin, Max, and you, Wei."  
  
"That one's mine!" said Rocky as he spotted a custom Harley, a perfect clone of the one he destroyed rescuing Jeremy and Agent Gates.  
  
"That one's yours, Liam." said Jeremy as he pointed to a red Saturn Ion Redline. The sides had graphics that looked like tornadoes.  
  
"Please tell me this one's mine." said Caitlin as she spotted a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo with white lightning bolt graphics across the hood and sides.  
  
"It's yours." said Jeremy. "This one's mine." he added as he looked at a blue Corvette with light blue racing stripes and dark blue side stripes.  
  
"Sweet!" called Max as he looked at a gray Nissan Xterra with a rather hefty-looking brush guard and graphics of a bear on the sides. "This one is definately mine."  
  
"And that one over there is Wei's." said Jeremy as he pointed to a white Kenworth with a large fuel tank on the back. The signs on the doors and the panels on the sides of the tank read "Fuel Basics Industries".  
  
"Nice." said Wei as he nodded approvingly.  
  
"Okay, as I said, half of us will be riding shotgun." said Jeremy. "So, here goes. Chris rides with Liam, Michael rides with Caitlin, Enzo rides with Max, Scooter and Kenny ride with Wei, and since she didn't say anything during the briefing, Laura rides with me."  
  
"Uh, okay." said Laura.  
  
"Hey, do these vehicles have names?" asked Chris.  
  
"Oh yeah, they do." said Jeremy. "I've called my Corvette the Skyhawk. Rocky's Harley is called the Warhorse, Liam's Saturn is called the Ferret, Caitlin's Lamborghini is called the Lightning, Max's Xterra is called the Bear..."  
  
"Seems appropriate." said Max as he looked at the graphic on the door.  
  
"...and Wei's tanker is called the Mammoth." finished Jeremy.  
  
The agents climbed into their vehicles and fastened their seatbelts. Scooter surprised almost everybody by climbing into the Mammoth through the hatch on the large fuel tank.  
  
"Don't mind him." said Rocky. "We've got a command center hidden in there."  
  
"Alright, let's go." said Jeremy. With that, the agents started their vehicles and pulled out.  
  
----------  
  
Outside, they saw a section of dirt road begin. Gates was standing by the start of the road. Jeremy ordered the vehicles to halt.  
  
"Before we go any further, I'd like to introduce someone." said Jeremy. "This is Lawrence Gates, FBI. He's the man who put together this team."  
  
"Thank you, Jeremy." said Gates. "I'm going to have to ask you to wait a little on starting the race. I've invited some distinguished guests and they're not here yet."  
  
"Oh." said Jeremy. "Sorry, guys. Looks like we're going to be here a little longer than I thought."  
  
Off in the distance, a man in a blue Volkswagen activated his radio. "This is Blades." he said. "Send backup. Something big is happening."  
  
----------  
  
AN:I can see I've gotten a couple of reviews. I'll address them here:  
  
Broadcast 2000-Well, I'm glad to have brought an end to your wait. Don't worry, I'm not going to leave it at this.  
  
Harry2-I wasn't planning on it at first, but I think I can do that.  
  
For this chapter's profiles, I'll turn the spotlight on our two tech-heads, Scooter and Dr. Frankenstein.  
  
Scooter  
  
Real name:Jack Marshall  
  
Allegiance:MASK 2  
  
Position:Computer Expert  
  
Birthplace:Seattle  
  
Mask:Glytch (projects a beam that scrambles computer programs)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:none  
  
Bio:Always having prefered a computer to social interaction, Scooter became an expert in all manner of computer science. He was hired by a technological firm to fix a defense algorithim in their computer system, a task he could do via the internet. During this operation, he witnessed the Foxes' heist over the webcam and ran to the police. The FBI and MASK 2 tapped him soon after.  
  
Dr. Frankenstein  
  
Real name:Charlie Weller  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes  
  
Position:Cyberneticist  
  
Birthplace:New Haven  
  
Mask:Droid (puts a target under mind control for five minutes)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:none  
  
Bio:A constant victim of bullies in high school, Frankenstein turned to his studies. Inspired by Japanese robot anime, he focused on computer programming and human anatomy to start building his own robots. He failed to acquire backing for his company until Malcolm Darwood stepped in. He agreed to back Frankenstein in exchange for building the Foxdroids.  
  
Thank you for reading. We shall continue. 


	4. To Take Its Place

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
AN:Sorry this one took so long, but I've been busy (I got my job back). I'm also working on another fanfic. Not only that, but there was one point where I wasn't too sure about this chapter, but I think it worked out.  
  
--------------------  
  
...To Take Its Place  
  
--------------------  
  
The agents waited for ten minutes before Agent Gates' special guests arrived. The guests were an older man with brownish-blonde hair, a dark-haired man about Jeremy's age, a younger blonde woman, and an older Japanese man.  
  
"Ah, Matt." greeted Gates. "Glad you could make it."  
  
"Glad to be here." said Matt, the older blonde man. "Sorry we're late, but traffic was terrible. We tried the radio, but KVRC's traffic reporter was absent."  
  
Upon Matt's statement, Liam looked rather embarrassed. He was the absent traffic reporter.  
  
"Matt, this is our new leader." said Gates as he introduced Jeremy.  
  
"Jeremy Sanchez, leader of the second MASK team." said Jeremy as he shook Matt's hand.  
  
"Matt Trakker, your predecessor." said Matt.  
  
"This is the design staff for your vehicles." said Gates as he held out his hand to the other three guests.  
  
"We've been at work since we found out VENOM had a successor." said the dark-haired man as he shook Jeremy's hand. "Jeffrey Almeida, nice to meet you."  
  
"Back atcha." said Jeremy who then turned his attention to the blonde woman.  
  
"Claudia Stewart." greeted the woman with a British accent as she shook Jeremy's hand.  
  
"Welcome aboard." said Jeremy. He then turned to the Japanese man.  
  
"Bruce Sato." he introduced.  
  
"Welcome to our test." said Jeremy as he and Bruce shook hands.  
  
"Bruce is also a former agent." said Matt.  
  
"So, what do you think of the new agents?" asked Jeremy.  
  
Matt and Bruce looked over the new agents of MASK. "I'm not sure what to tell you from looking at them." said Bruce. "But if there's anything to be learned from working with MASK, it's that looks can be deceiving."  
  
"I agree." said Matt. "Ask me again after the test."  
  
"You may begin." said Gates.  
  
"Okay, here's the sitch." said Jeremy. "This is the start of a dirt road. At the end of that dirt road is something that will aid us in our battle against our enemies. Since the Ferret, Bear, and Mammoth have no chance of keeping up with the Skyhawk, Warhorse, or Lightning, they will be allowed to take a few shortcuts." He walked over to a map of the road and pointed to a few marked alternate roads. "The Ferret will be allowed to take these routes while the Mammoth will be allowed to take this access road over here."  
  
"What about the Bear?" asked Max.  
  
"That's the fun part." said Jeremy. "You get to make your own trail. That's where four-wheel-drive comes in handy. You're going overland."  
  
"Alright!" whispered Max.  
  
"So, with that said, let's get ready to go." said Jeremy.  
  
The agents hurried to their vehicles, started them, and pulled up to the starting line. Gates stood in front of them and prepared to start the race.  
  
----------  
  
"Darwood, this is Blades." announced the spy watching the start of the race. "Hurry up with that backup."  
  
"Blades, this is Darwood." replied his boss. "There's a squadron of Wasps on the way. Keep your shirt on."  
  
----------  
  
The agents revved their engines in anticipation for the race's start.  
  
Rocky twisted the handle on his Harley. Flames shot out of the exhausts.  
  
Liam, Caitlin, Jeremy, and Max revved their engines. Wei pushed his accelerator and the Mammoth roared in response.  
  
Gates raised his hands and looked to the spectators. Matt gave him a nod. Gates dropped his hands to start the race.  
  
Rocky was first off the line. Caitlin quickly followed. Jeremy and Liam were next out and Max was right behind them. Wei brought up the rear.  
  
Just after the start, Caitlin caught up with Rocky and passed him. Jeremy quickly pulled away from Liam. Wei saw his shortcut and turned towards it. "Brace yourself." he said. Inside the Mammoth, Scooter grabbed a hand rail to keep himself from sliding across the truck.  
  
Just after that, Max saw his shortcut and steered towards it. The Bear hit the rough terrain and bounced over it.  
  
The other vehicles raced down the road until they came to a turn. The Lightning, Warhorse, and Skyhawk continued around the turn to the left while the Ferret banked right and headed into the first shortcut.  
  
----------  
  
"So, where'd you learn to drive like this?" asked Kenny.  
  
"I worked on a farm back in China." said Wei. "Hold on." He turned the wheel sharply to the right and negotiated a hairpin turn. "My father taught me all about driving heavy equipment. After a while, I managed to get a job at trucking company running between Shanghai and Beijing. I came to the U.S. a year ago."  
  
"Your English is great." said Scooter. "Better than some Americans, in fact."  
  
"Thank you." said Wei. "So, where did you learn survival, Kenny?"  
  
"Same place you learned to drive, my dad." said Kenny. "We grew up just outside of Calgary."  
  
"You're Canadian?" asked Scooter.  
  
"Yep." said Kenny. "Ma and dad were always into the great outdoors and I came to respect nature as they did. I think that's why I became a forest ranger."  
  
"That's cool." said Wei.  
  
"So, how did you get into computers?" asked Kenny.  
  
"In Seattle, it's one of two ways to make a name for yourself," said Scooter "and grunge gives me a headache." Wei and Kenny laughed.  
  
----------  
  
"You got any off-roading in Italy?" asked Max as the Bear bounced over the rocks and crags.  
  
"In my hometown, roads are practically non-existant." said Enzo.  
  
"Rough terrain?" asked Max.  
  
"Wet terrain. Venice." joked Enzo.  
  
"Ah." said Max. "So, is it as romantic as I've...Whoa!" Max slammed on the brakes and narrowly avoided driving over a cliff. He then set the brake and climbed out to check the area. He climbed back in and told Enzo "I guess we can't go that way."  
  
"The most important thing to remember in mountain climbing is that gravity is not on your side." said Enzo.  
  
"Boy, did I learn that the hard way!" said Max as he turned to drive alongside the cliff.  
  
----------  
  
The Lightning widened its lead on the Warhorse and Skyhawk as it went through another wide turn. "We've still got a decent lead." said Caitlin.  
  
"Maybe." said Michael. "There's the other end of Liam's shortcut. I wonder where he is."  
  
Just then, the Ferret raced out of the shortcut and swerved through the Lightning's dust cloud. "Doggone it, we're still in second." said Chris.  
  
"Don't worry, lad." said Liam. "We're not out yet." He spotted the next shortcut and steered towards it.  
  
----------  
  
Around that time, six Wasps pulled up to Blades' position riding Rats.  
  
"Where have you been?" yelled Blades. "They're halfway through the course already! What am I saying? These things aren't programmed for conversation."  
  
Blades then climbed back into the Rabbit and drove towards the base of the mountains. The Wasps followed.  
  
----------  
  
The MASK agents decended the mountain road. Caitlin led in the Lightning, Jeremy was close behind in the Skyhawk, Rocky was just catching up on the Warhorse, and Liam had just come out of his latest shortcut in the Ferret. He was far behind.  
  
"Now we're last!" yelled Chris.  
  
"Relax, I know what I'm doing." said Liam.  
  
Just then, Max drove down a steep incline in the Bear and bounded in front of the Ferret.  
  
"Dash it, Max!" yelled Liam as he plowed on the brakes.  
  
"Sorry, Liam." gasped Max. "Mountains aren't my strong suit."  
  
Max turned down a hiking trail while Liam continued to his next shortcut.  
  
----------  
  
"Looks like we're not going to beat Caitlin." said Laura. "She's good."  
  
"That's why I chose her." said Jeremy. "So tell me about yourself, quiet one."  
  
"What do you want me to say?" asked Laura.  
  
"Well, you could tell me about your background." said Jeremy.  
  
"What's to tell?" asked Laura. "I was born in Boston, went to UCLA Medical School, and here I am."  
  
"There are some good medical schools back east." said Jeremy. "Why did you come all the way out to L.A?"  
  
"After eighteen years of living with the most controlling parents ever, I decided I just wanted to live my own life." explained Laura.  
  
"Why did you decide to go into medicine?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"I just hate to see people hurt." said Laura. "I take saving lives very seriously."  
  
"Is something bothering you?" asked Jeremy. "You've been acting weird since the briefing."  
  
"It's about Max." said Laura. "I know him from somewhere, but I can't figure out where."  
  
----------  
  
"There!" called Scooter. "That's our destination."  
  
Wei looked towards the elevated platform as he drove the Mammoth out of the mountain path. "Looks like we're the first ones." he said.  
  
Just then, Caitlin sped by him in the Lightning. "Spoke too soon." he said.  
  
The Bear rolled out of the mountains and raced past the Mammoth. Then the Skyhawk raced by them both. The Warhorse was right behind the Mammoth with the Ferret dead last.  
  
The Lightning pulled up alongside the platform and stopped. Caitlin and Michael climbed out as the Skyhawk pulled up. Jeremy and Laura climbed out.  
  
"Caitlin, since you won the race, why don't you hand out the party favors?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"If you insist." said Caitlin as she climbed the stairs to the platform. When she reached the top, she found a group of lockers with the agents' names on them. She found the one with her name on it and opened it. She allowed herself a smile when she saw what was inside.  
  
"After you get yours, toss the other ones to us." said Jeremy.  
  
"You got it." called Caitlin. "Mikey." She then tossed something to Michael. "Jeremy." She tossed something to Jeremy. "Laura" she added as she tossed something to her. "Max, Enzo." she added as she tossed a couple of items to them. Enzo looked at what he had been tossed.  
  
"A mask?" he said. "Are you trying to tell me something?"  
  
Caitlin continued tossing masks to her teammates. "These are our backup weapons." said Jeremy. "I believe you were trained with these."  
  
"I was a little skeptical at first." said Michael. "But when they were demonstrated, I was pleasantly surprised."  
  
"And Chris." said Caitlin as she tossed one last mask to Chris.  
  
"Okay, guys." said Jeremy. "It's now time to see how well you use your vehicles in combat. Enzo, Michael, Chris, Laura, and Kenny can sit this one out. At the other end of the field are six drones. Everybody gets to destroy one. Let's go."  
  
The agents donned their masks and ran to their vehicles. Within seconds, they were off.  
  
"We can probably see the action from the platform." said Kenny. "Come on."  
  
----------  
  
The six vehicles approached the drones. "Caitlin, you seem to have no problem getting there the fastest." said Jeremy. "Why don't you go first?"  
  
"Okay." said Caitlin as she raced towards the drones. "How do I convert this thing?"  
  
"Push the yellow button on the dash." said Jeremy.  
  
"Got it." said Caitlin as she pushed the yellow button on the dashboard. Suddenly, the wheels flipped down to become hover jets. Missile launchers extended from the air intakes and the taillights opened to reveal jet engines. The hood opened to reveal laser cannons.  
  
Caitlin steered towards the drones and released a pair of missiles. Both hit one of the drones, immobilizing it. She followed up with a blast from the laser cannons and the drone exploded.  
  
"I go next." said Jeremy as he approached in the Skyhawk. He tagged a button on the dashboard and set the car's transformation in motion. The front wheels folded back on wings while the rear wheels folded back on horizontal stabilizers. A pair of vertical stabilizers extended from the rear deck and the headlights opened to reveal laser cannons.  
  
Jeremy flew in towards another drone and pelted it with laser blasts. He then flew through the resulting explosion.  
  
Rocky was next. He stopped the Warhorse and pushed a yellow button on the handlebars. The bike split down the middle and a pair of tractor treads lowered from the bottom as the sides spread out. The front forks elevated to become a laser cannon.  
  
Rocky found his target and fired at it with his cannon. Quick work was made of the drone.  
  
"See what you're looking for?" asked Max.  
  
"Aye." said Liam. "Let's hit it." He then pushed the yellow button on his dashboard. The Ferret's side skirts lowered to become landing skids and laser cannons extended from the headlights. The rear doors opened upwards to reveal a rocket launcher and a winch. The rear hatch split and slid open and a tail boom and a set of rotor blades extended from the trunk. The helicopter took off.  
  
Max pushed a similar button on the dashboard of the Bear. A pair of huge tank treads extended from the sides and lowered to the ground. The body elevated to cover the greenhouse and a pair of cannons extended from the headlights. The roof rack swung forward to become a pair of guns and the roof basket swung up to become a radar dish.  
  
"Spotted a target." said Max. He fired a grappling hook from the Bear's brush guard and hatched onto the back of a drone. Liam made a dive in the Ferret and blasted the drone to pieces with the laser cannons and rockets.  
  
"Nice shot!" said Max.  
  
"Here you go." said Liam as he lowered the winch on the Ferret and hooked another drone. He picked it up into the air and Max blew it out of the sky with his cannons.  
  
"Guess that leaves me." said Wei. He pushed the yellow button on the Mammoth's dashboard. The hood swung up to become a radar dish and revealed a pair of lasers on the vehicle's front. The wheels retracted to reveal tractor treads on the front. The sides of the tank extended to the sides and a pair of heavy laser cannons were revealed. Finally, a laser turret extended from the hatch on the tank and the transformation was complete.  
  
"Got one more drone and it's ours." said Scooter. Wei tracked down the last drone. After spotting it, he let loose with the front lasers. The target was quickly destroyed.  
  
"Over so soon?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Not yet." said Wei. He then pointed the front of the Mammoth at the wreckage of one of the other drones and fired the heavy cannons. The drone wreckage was further reduced to scrap metal. Then, the rear turret focused on another wrecked drone and started firing. The wreckage was torn to pieces.  
  
----------  
  
"So, what do you think now?" asked Gates.  
  
"They just took on a simple training mission." said Matt. "I'd like to see them handle a real threat."  
  
"Looks like you're about to get your wish." said Jeffrey as he pointed out Blades and the Wasps.  
  
----------  
  
"Who are those guys?" asked Laura as she saw the new threat.  
  
"I dunno." said Chris. "But I don't think they're on the guest list."  
  
"Great, and us out in the open." said Kenny.  
  
"Come." said Michael as he ran to the side of the platform. "We must help our friends."  
  
----------  
  
"Good job." said Jeremy as he circled the battlefield. "Now, let's see how you use your masks."  
  
"I can see the drones coming now." said Max.  
  
"We didn't have other drones." said Scooter as he turned to face the approaching androids. "Uh, Jeremy, we've got company." he added.  
  
"Oh no, they've found our training center!" said Jeremy.  
  
"We've got another problem." said Caitlin. "I used up half my rockets taking out that drone. I don't think I have enough to take these guys on."  
  
"Relax, you'd be surprised how easily these guys fall." said Rocky as he turned to face the new problem, then saw the Rabbit. "Wait, that guy in the Volkswagen is human."  
  
"Attack!" called Blades. The Wasps transformed their Rats and Blades followed suit with the Rabbit. After the car stopped, the rear section opened and the hood and fenders folded forward. A tail boom flipped and extended into position as rotor blades elevated and deployed. The newly formed helicopter took off from its platform and flew towards the agents.  
  
"Jeremy, that guy flies." said Wei. "Maybe you and Liam should fight him so the rest of us can concentrate on the ground troops."  
  
"I was just about to suggest the same thing." said Jeremy. "Go for it, Liam."  
  
"Looks like they're about to open fire." said Caitlin.  
  
"Can't shoot if their guns don't work." said Rocky. "Safety, on!"  
  
A yellow beam shone from his mask and bathed one of the Rats. A second later, the Wasp riding the Rat attempted to fire its weapons, but they wouldn't fire.  
  
"I got the next one." said Scooter as he poked his head out of one of the hatches. "Glytch, on!"  
  
A white beam shone from his mask and bathed another Rat. The Wasp riding it suddenly lurched into something resembling a seizure and crashed the bike.  
  
"Two down, four to go." said Caitlin. "I'll go next. Lightspeed, fire!"  
  
A red laser beam shot from her mask and hit a third Rat. Unfortunately, the Rat split into three smaller robots instead of being destroyed.  
  
"Oops." said Caitlin. "That wasn't a good move."  
  
The three mini robots started to move towards the Lightning. It was about that time the agents on foot managed to reach the battle.  
  
Enzo picked up a rock and threw it at one of the robots. "Hey, pick on someone your own size!" he ordered. The three robots turned and flew towards him. "Me and my big mouth." said Enzo sheepishly.  
  
Chris dove to the ground hands-first and somersaulted back to his feet. In the process, he picked up a rock and held it in his right hand. He held back his hand and called "Breaker, on!"  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"You forgot to plug it in!" said Kenny as he ran over to Chris. He grabbed a cable that led to a glove on Chris' right hand and plugged it into his mask. "Try it now!"  
  
Chris held back his hand again and again called "Breaker, on!" A wave of red energy spread through the rock and Chris threw it at the robot. The rock hit the robot and both exploded.  
  
"Good on ya!" yelled Kenny.  
  
"Guess I should've played for the Cowboys like momma wanted." said Chris.  
  
Laura ran over to the fallen Wasp and looked it over. "It IS a robot." she said. "So, the talk is true." Just then, another of the small robots walked over towards her and started to target her. "Uh, sorry to bother you." The robot started to power up its lasers. "Are you listening to me?" she asked. The robot fired its weapons, but Laura managed to dodge. The shots hit the Wasp instead. Then, the robot fell over and shut down.  
  
Kenny was fighting the robot's companion when it too fell dead.  
  
"What the heck?" he asked.  
  
"The androids!" yelled Laura. "They must be controlling the smaller robots!"  
  
"It's worth a try." said Max as he aimed at another Rat and fired away. The Rat separated into three separate robots like its friend.  
  
Michael ran over to the fallen android and called "Heat, on!"  
  
A red beam shone from his mask and bathed the Wasp. Within seconds, the android started sparking and melting. The robots that had once been its motorcycle quickly shut down.  
  
"It worked!" yelled Laura.  
  
"Hold on, I have a theory." said Enzo. He climbed up on a large boulder and let one of the remaining Rats race over to him. It was unable to climb the boulder and when he had a clear shot, Enzo called "Torque, on!"  
  
A blue spiral beam shone from his mask and bathed the android's head. The head was soon twisted off. The Rat did not separate into robots.  
  
"One more to go." said Rocky as he aimed at the last Rat. He opened fire and took the Wasp's head off. It too remained in motorcycle mode.  
  
"I got the last one." said Caitlin. She flew the Lightning towards the last Rat. As she flew over the android, she released the rear bumper grappling hook and pulled the Wasp off the bike. The Rat began to separate into its separate robots when Wei ran over the Wasp with the Mammoth.  
  
"Is that all of them?" asked Wei.  
  
"I believe it is." said Michael.  
  
----------  
  
"Darwood's not going to like this." said Blades as he watched the battle wrap up. "Well, I'm outta here."  
  
As he started to fly away, the Ferret flew up in front of him and made him squeal in terror.  
  
"Don't move, lad!" ordered Liam.  
  
"You're in restricted airspace!" informed Jeremy. "Surrender now!"  
  
"No way!" yelled Blades. He then fired off a flare. Jeremy and Liam shielded their eyes as Blades made a run for it.  
  
"We have to get him, Liam!" said Jeremy. "If he reports the location of this facility, Darwood's going to launch a full-scale assault!"  
  
"I've got him!" said Liam. "Twister, on!""  
  
A pair of white tornadoes emerged from Liam's mask and wrapped around the Rabbit. Blades quickly lost control and screamed in panic as he was forced to make a crash landing.  
  
"We've got him." said Jeremy.  
  
----------  
  
"Well, Matt." said Gates. "Now what do you think?"  
  
"Very impressive." said Matt. "Looks like you chose the right leader. And he chose the right team."  
  
"And I think we have a lead on our case." said Bruce. "We have a captive."  
  
----------  
  
AN:The next chapter will be here. It just might take a little time. Please, review anyway.  
  
Today's profiles will focus on the Irish cousins, Liam and Max O'Grady. Because of the wait, I'll even throw in a bonus profile (it's just one of the androids though).  
  
Liam O'Grady  
  
Allegiance:MASK 2  
  
Position:Helicopter Pilot  
  
Cover Job:Traffic Reporter  
  
Birthplace:Limerick  
  
Mask:Twister (projects two tornadoes)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Ferret (Saturn Ion Red Line/Strike Helicopter)  
  
Bio:Liam came to America to help out the family of his uncle (Max's father) after he died. He quickly found a job with a local radio station as a traffic reporter, a position earned by his love of flying and his ability to almost instantly learn a geographic area. When the FBI asked him to try out for MASK 2, he initially refused. Then he learned that an old rival from Ireland was trying out.  
  
Max O'Grady  
  
Allegiance:MASK 2  
  
Position:Infiltration Expert  
  
Cover Job:Extreme Sportsman  
  
Birthplace:Los Angeles  
  
Mask:Whisper (prevents him from making noise or being detected by most sensors)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Bear (Nissan Xterra/Heavy Battle Tank)  
  
Bio:After his father died, Max discovered extreme sports. After nearly getting himself killed numerous times (he came dangerously close after a rock climb gone awry), he started to re-examine his life. The FBI heard of his skills and called him to try out for MASK 2. He asked them to ask his cousin Liam as well. After they asked Liam to try out, Max accepted their offer, finally finding his purpose.  
  
Hornet  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes (Foxdroid)  
  
Position:Infantry  
  
Vehicle Code Name:none  
  
Bio:After Dr. Frankenstein was tapped by Malcolm Darwood, his first project was a sophisticated but cheaply produced android that could be used for ground troops. He named them the Hornets as he based his androids' command structure on that of bees.  
  
Thank you for reading. More will come. 


	5. CounterStrike

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
AN:First the good news: I'll be sure to work some more on this story shortly, as well as my others. The bad news: the next chapter will be the last for a while. Actually, the next chapter will wrap up this story, but another will follow sometime later.  
  
Anyways, this chapter is here now. Go ahead.  
  
--------------  
  
Counter-Strike  
  
--------------  
  
After the training session was interrupted, the agents took their follow-up actions.  
  
Max, Kenny, and Chris hit the gym. Max climbed the rock wall while Kenny lifted weights and Chris attacked the punching bag.  
  
"Whoa, what kind of fighting is that?" asked Kenny.  
  
"It's called Shotokan." said Chris as he delivered a few roundhouse kicks to the bag. "It's a form of karate."  
  
"Ken and Ryu's style, if I'm not mistaken." said Max.  
  
"Video game nuts." laughed Chris as he steadied the bag.  
  
"You rock climb often?" asked Kenny.  
  
"Yeah, mostly in the Santa Monicas." said Max. "I'm usually careful, but I once took a nasty spill. Don't remember much about it, I was out of it for the most part."  
  
"And you still climb?" asked Chris.  
  
"Oh yeah." said Max.  
  
----------  
  
In the vehicle bay, Caitlin, Wei, and Enzo looked over the wreckage of the Rats.  
  
"All this technology." said Caitlin.  
  
"Yeah, imagine what they didn't throw at us." said Wei.  
  
"We may be seeing it soon." said Enzo. "Darwood's not going to be too happy when that chopper pilot doesn't come back."  
  
"This was his ride?" asked Wei as he looked at the Rabbit.  
  
"Yes, it is." said Enzo. "Looks like some Volkswagen Golf/helicopter hybrid. Plus, it's got some kind of weird aero bumpers."  
  
"Aftermarket, most likely." said Caitlin. "Looks like Zender."  
  
"So, you like the aftermarket stuff, eh?" said Enzo.  
  
"I follow the aftermarket." said Caitlin. "Things about cars have always interested me."  
  
"Cool." said Wei. "Let me know if you know anything about big trucks."  
  
----------  
  
In the medical lab, Laura looked over the wrecked Wasps as Liam and Rocky looked on.  
  
"Well, I think this just might be a Weller design." said Laura. "They're based on human anatomy, like Weller's robots. Unfortunately, our attacks left their memory banks wiped clean."  
  
"What about their secondary control systems?" asked Rocky. "You know, the things they were using to control those smaller robots?"  
  
"I found what might be a control unit in their chests." said Laura. "I'm not sure. This isn't my department. What I do know is that it was connected to their CPUs, or brains if you will."  
  
"That's probably why they shut down after they were decapitated." said Liam.  
  
"They also have a dedicated explosive charge designed to destroy any evidence." said Laura. "Apparently, that was controlled by the CPU as well."  
  
"Can they use weapons?" asked Rocky.  
  
"No, their hands aren't designed to pull a trigger." said Laura. "The warrior androids you encountered must have been a different design."  
  
----------  
  
Bruce and the design team watched over Scooter and Michael as they checked out the stolen items on the computer.  
  
"I've heard of these items." said Bruce. "It's called the Locking System. It's a modular equipment system for intelligence operations. Field operatives are supposed to be able to create whatever they need from the modules."  
  
"Yeah, but there's not a lot they can make from what they have now." said Scooter. "I tried all possible combinations."  
  
"Maybe they're planning on selling what they have." said Michael. "If the files are true, they may be following VENOM's M.O."  
  
"If they're planning on doing that, they'd need more of the modules." said Bruce. "They'd need most, if not all, of the modules."  
  
"Maybe they're going to make something with a piece they don't have yet." said Michael.  
  
"Without knowing what, it's needle in a haystack time." said Scooter.  
  
"One of the items stolen was a computer." said Michael. "Why?"  
  
"Every item has a different operating program." said Bruce. "The computer was being used to code these programs."  
  
"Does the computer have the operating programs for all the possible combinations?" asked Scooter.  
  
"No, the computer's hard drive isn't that large." said Bruce. "One such computer should be able to hold twenty programs."  
  
"That narrows it down." said Scooter as he went to work.  
  
----------  
  
"Were you sent by Malcolm Darwood?" asked Gates.  
  
"I...I...I can't tell you." stammered Blades.  
  
"Easy, Gates." said Matt. "You're scaring him."  
  
"Matt, I checked his psyche file." said Jeremy in a way that Blades couldn't hear. "I don't think scaring him would be any mean feat."  
  
"What can you tell us about him?" asked Matt.  
  
"His name is Frank Kelly from Santa Fe." said Jeremy. "He used to use a helicopter to smuggle guns into Mexico. Similar to Han Solo, he was once forced to dump his load when he encountered what he thought was a border patrol helicopter."  
  
"What he thought?" asked Matt.  
  
"Turned out to be a local farmer dusting crops." said Jeremy. "He suffers from extreme cowardice and paranoia. After his mistake, his clients weren't happy. It's said there's a bounty on his head throughout the criminal underworld. However, our informants have been unable to account for his wherabouts for the last two years."  
  
"Darwood might have recruited him around that time." said Matt. "It makes sense since he could find protection from his pursuers."  
  
"His fear may be preventing him from answering any of Gates' questions." said Jeremy. "He's afraid of both what Gates would do to him if he doesn't answer and what Darwood would do if he does."  
  
"Doomed if you do and doomed if you don't." said Matt.  
  
Gates took a break from questioning Blades and joined Matt and Jeremy.   
  
"I'm not getting anywhere with him." he said. "I'll give him some time to stew."  
  
Just then, there was a knock at the door, then Scooter entered. "Jeremy, call everyone to the briefing room." he said. "I think we've got something."  
  
----------  
  
Within minutes, the team had gathered in the briefing room. Jeremy, Matt, and Scooter stood at the front of the room.  
  
"I ran a list of the stolen parts and tried to find out what Darwood could make with them." said Scooter. "Working on Michael's suggestion, I checked the operating programs on the stolen computer and found that one belonged to this."  
  
Scooter tapped a few buttons on his computer and the image of some piece of equipment appeared on the viewscreen behind him.  
  
"It's called a Sonic Wave Projector." said Jeremy. "As the name indicates, it projects a sonic wave that can cause solid objects to shatter. It's easy to transport, does incredible damage, and can do its worst in less than a minute. All Darwood has to do is assemble the pieces."  
  
"Does Darwood have all the pieces?" asked Kenny.  
  
"No, he still needs one." said Scooter.  
  
"I've got Bruce looking into the last piece's transportation right now." said Matt.  
  
"Are you sure it's this one?" asked Chris. "Maybe there's another operating program on the computer that they're going to use."  
  
"No, nothing else on the computer required the other pieces stolen." said Scooter. "I'm telling you, this is the one."  
  
Bruce quickly ran into the room and yelled "We have to mobilize quickly! The professor said the other component is being moved now!"  
  
"Uh oh, no rest for the weary." said Max.  
  
"Just as Bruce suggested, we mobilize now." said Jeremy. "Caitlin, Max, Chris, Scooter, and Liam, come with me. Everybody else stays here to guard the prisoner."  
  
----------  
  
Elsewhere, Darwood sat in the back of the Monster and watched the clock. "Blades should've been back by now." he muttered.  
  
"He's probably working on an excuse as to why he couldn't pull it off." said Gearbox.  
  
"No, Darwood's right." said Frankenstein. "Blades must be in trouble. He'd never be this late."  
  
"Nice to see someone knows what's going on." said Darwood. "We go without him. There's no way Sanchez can mobilize in time. Let's go."  
  
The Monster, Rocket, and Lion pulled out.  
  
----------  
  
The Skyhawk, Lightning, Bear, and Ferret raced along the highway.  
  
"I think Darwood sent Kelly after us to keep us busy." said Jeremy.  
  
"Guess he wasn't counting on the guy to fail." said Scooter.  
  
"He's probably not expecting us." said Jeremy. "I hope he doesn't have a mask because I'd really love to see the look on his face."  
  
----------  
  
The transport truck drove into the mountains. It drove onto a bridge when it came upon a Winnebago parked across the road. A Viper and a Hummer were both stopped by the RV.  
  
"His brakes locked up." said Rocks from the Hummer. "Lost control, came this close to going off the bridge."  
  
"I'm a mechanic." said one member of the truck's crew. "Maybe I can help."  
  
"Please do." said Flash. "I have a car show to get to."  
  
----------  
  
"I wish Scooter was here." said Rocky as he tried to use the MASK computer.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Michael.  
  
"I'm trying to see what else Darwood's group could make using these parts." said Rocky. "Unfortunately, this thing is a little beyond my capabilities."  
  
"Let me help." said Michael. He went to work helping Rocky with the computer. "This is how you access the database."  
  
"That's cool." said Rocky. "Bet you can't access the personel files."  
  
"No problem." said Michael. He went to work and brought up Rocky's profile.  
  
"Nice work." said Rocky.  
  
"Wait." said Laura as she entered the room. "While you have the personel files open, do me a favor and check Max's medical records."  
  
"If you say so." said Michael. He went to work again and opened Max's medical file. Laura gave it a quick once-over and gasped.  
  
----------  
  
The mechanic had crawled under the Monster and was looking at the drivetrain. Flash was standing next to the driver of the truck. Hack and Slash snuck up behind the truck.  
  
"When do we act?" asked Slash.  
  
"Just a second." said Hack.  
  
"Can you find the problem?" asked the driver.  
  
"I can't find a problem." said the mechanic. "It looks fine."  
  
"Okay." said the driver. "Then let's..." He was cut off when Flash hit him in the stomach. She followed with an elbow to the back which rendered the man unconscious.  
  
"What the?" replied the guard in the truck. He picked up the microphone for the radio and pushed the button. "This is transport one. We are being..."  
  
Slash ran to the open window, held his hands towards the guard, and called "Surge, on!" Electricity burst from his gloves and knocked the guard out.  
  
"What's going on?" asked the mechanic as he slid out from under the Monster. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Gearbox's boot.  
  
"That was perfect." said Hack.  
  
"We didn't even have to to transform the vehicles." said Rocks.  
  
Suddenly, the radio crackled to life. It was Jeremy. "Transport one, respond." he said. "Repeat, transport one, respond. Are you there? Who is attacking you?"  
  
Rocks picked up the microphone for the radio. "This is transport one." he said. "False alarm. Sorry."  
  
----------  
  
"Something is not right." said Scooter. "His voice sounded different."  
  
"If there is something right, it's probably you." said Jeremy. "Hold on." He pulled to the side of the road and pushed a green button on the Skyhawk's dashboard. His Hawk mask slid over his head and he plugged in the control cable. He reached forward and called "White Hawk, on!"  
  
A white energy mass shaped like a bird of prey flew from his mask. Jeremy guided it with his glove. He could see everything the "hawk" could see. A minute later, the energy probe found the stopped truck. Rocks was working on getting the rear doors open.  
  
"Darwood's men are robbing the truck." said Jeremy. "We have to hurry."  
  
----------  
  
Rocks finally got the rear of the truck open. In front of him and his teammates sat another piece of the device.  
  
"What is that thing?" asked Hack.  
  
"That would be a sonic wave generator." said Frankenstein as he walked over.  
  
"It's only a matter of time before we get it hooked up." said Darwood.  
  
"Perhaps more than we thought!" said Gearbox as the MASK vehicles approached.  
  
"Get to your vehicles!" ordered Darwood. "Slash, put the generator in the Monster! And don't break it!"  
  
"Like I'd do something that stupid." said Slash as he picked up the generator. He then turned and walked right into the open truck door. "Generator's okay!" he yelled.  
  
Flash jumped into the Rocket, Rocks and Hack slid into the Lion, and everybody else got into the Monster.  
  
"Okay, Liam." said Jeremy. "Flight mode!"  
  
He and Liam transformed their vehicles. Caitlin and Max did the same. Darwood and his team did so as well. The mechanic regained conciousness at that moment and quickly realized what was about to happen. He performed the only action he could make and hid by the side of the road.  
  
"Looks like we just established air superiority." said Liam as he flew the Ferret in close to the Lion.  
  
"Rocks, would you be so kind as to swat that mosquito?" asked Darwood.  
  
"No prob." said Rocks as he fired his side cannons at the Ferret.  
  
As Liam dodged the shots, he muttered "So that's the way it's gonna be."  
  
Caitlin and Flash attempted to shoot each other, but they were both going too fast.  
  
"Hey, MASK girl!" said Flash. "Why don't you slow down so I can get a clear shot?"  
  
"Mmmm, how about no?" replied Caitlin as she performed a tight turn and fired another shot at Flash. She still missed.  
  
"It ends here, Darwood." said Jeremy over the radio. "You might as well give up."  
  
"Ah, but it isn't." said Darwood. "Gearbox, aim at the center of the bridge."  
  
"But that will miss!" said Gearbox.  
  
"Just do it!" said Darwood.  
  
Gearbox aimed his laser cannon at the center of the bridge and fired. The center of the bridge collapsed and fell into the gorge.  
  
Caitlin and Flash found themselves on two opposite sides of the gap as it started to widen.  
  
"What did he do that for?" asked Jeremy. "We can still reach him."  
  
"Jeremy!" yelled Scooter as he pointed at the widening gap. The truck's driver was lying in front of the truck. The gap was about to swallow him.  
  
"Break off the attack!" ordered Jeremy. "We have to rescue someone!"  
  
"I'm on it." said Max as he climbed out of the Bear. Liam disengaged the Lion and flew over to join him. Max ran over to the crew member and tried to drag him to safety.  
  
"Hang on." said Max. "We're okay." Suddenly, the roadway dropped out from under him. Max grabbed onto the exposed beams sticking out of the road and held on tightly to the crew member's hand.  
  
"Oh great!" said Scooter. "Now we have two someones to rescue!"  
  
"Liam, we could use your help." said Jeremy.  
  
"I read you, lad." said Liam. "But I can't hook onto someone with this winch without someone guiding the hook."  
  
"I'll do it, partner." said Chris as he climbed out of the Bear. Liam lowered the winch until Chris grabbed it and held on.  
  
Liam carried Chris over the gorge and lowered him into it. Chris quickly found Max and said "Need a hand?"  
  
"You can just hook onto this guy and take him to safety." said Max. "I can climb up myself."  
  
"If you insist." said Chris as he hooked the winch onto the crew member's belt. He then signaled to Liam and the two were lifted to the road surface.  
  
"Right behind you." said Max. He started to climb up to the roadway when the beam broke free and hung away from the edge.  
  
Liam gasped at the sight of his cousin in danger. Chris and the driver were set down on a safe part of the road as Liam and Jeremy continued to panic.  
  
"Max, I've got you." called Caitlin as she pointed the back of the Lightning at him and fired the grappler. Max grabbed it and swung over to the side he was trying to climb to.  
  
"Good, now hold on." she said as she drove forward and pulled him up. Max climbed up onto the roadway and ran to safety.  
  
The bridge stopped collapsing when it reached the support. The front wheels of the truck dropped over the edge, but it fell no further. The guard in the truck regained conciousness at that time and gasped when he saw the gap in the bridge.  
  
"Is everyone alright?" asked Chris.  
  
"Yeah, but Darwood got away." said Jeremy.  
  
----------  
  
Gates returned to the interrogation room where Blades was being questioned.  
  
"If you're coming to continue the interrogation, you can leave now." said Blades. "I'm not telling anything, so forget it."  
  
"Did you think we weren't going to check your fingerprints, Mr. Frank Kelly?" asked Gates. Blades looked at him in surprise. "Santa Fe, right? We know you're working for Malcolm Darwood. The question is 'How did he recruit you?'"  
  
"Just after I got in trouble with those gunrunners," explained Blades "I went into hiding. I don't know how, but Darwood found me. He found me before they did. After that, he smoothed things over with them on the condition that I join The Foxes."  
  
"The Foxes?" asked Gates.  
  
"That's Darwood's group." said Blades. "He got the name from his nickname in college."  
  
"And what are the Foxes planning on doing with the stolen equipment?" asked Gates.  
  
"I'd really rather not say." said Blades.  
  
"I don't think you have much of a choice." said Gates as he turned away from Blades to check something. "Remember, you're handcuffed to that chair."  
  
"Actually, I do have a choice." said Blades. "Because the handcuffs? Well, let's just say a set of lockpicks come in really handy in my line of work."  
  
Gates turned back to Blades to see he had gotten his cuffs off and was now holding his chair like a weapon. Blades then used the chair to force Gates up against the wall. He then took the cuffs and used them on Gates, shackling him to a pipe along the wall. He then knocked the gun out of his hand and ran.  
  
"Come back here, you coward!" yelled Gates.  
  
Blades ran into the next room and found his mask. He put it on, then went in search of the Rabbit.  
  
----------  
  
Meanwhile, Matt entered the interrogation room and found Gates handcuffed to the pipe. "Gates, what happened?" he yelled.  
  
"It's Kelly, or Blades, or whatever!" yelled Gates. "He's escaped!"  
  
Matt picked up Gates' gun and shot off the cuffs. "Let's go!" he said as he handed the gun back to its owner.  
  
----------  
  
"A sign?" muttered Blades. "A line on the floor? A fire escape plan? Is there anything in this place that will show me where my car is?"  
  
He stepped around a corner and encountered Kenny and Michael. "What the..." stammered Michael.  
  
"Isn't he supposed to be tied up?" asked Kenny.  
  
"Grab him!" yelled Michael.  
  
Blades quickly ran the opposite direction with Kenny and Michael in hot pursuit. He ran through a door, closed it, and locked it behind him. Kenny tried to open it unsuccessfully.  
  
"Locked." he groaned. "Guess I'll have to use my personal skeleton key." He took two steps back, then rammed the door with his shoulder. When he and Michael got into the room, Blades was nowhere to be found. He had escaped through a vent.  
  
"He's resourceful, I'll give him that." said Michael. "But we have one advantage in our chase."  
  
"Which is?" asked Kenny.  
  
"We know where he's going." said Matt as he and Gates ran over.  
  
"Right!" said Gates. "The vehicle bay."  
  
----------  
  
Blades had made it to the vehicle bay and was warming up the Rabbit when Jeremy and the others returned.  
  
"Uh oh." said Blades. "I have to hide."  
  
The Skyhawk, Bear, Ferret, and Lightning parked and their drivers exitted the vehicles.  
  
"I can't believe we lost Darwood!" said Jeremy.  
  
"Don't feel too bad, J." said Max.  
  
"Aye, only a bloody coward would cause a distraction by threatening innocent people." said Liam.  
  
"Relax, it's our first battle against people who can think." said Caitlin.  
  
"Hey, is Kelly's Volkswagen supposed to be running?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Jeremy!" called Rocky. "The prisoner has escaped!"  
  
"Is he still here?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"We believe so." said Gates.  
  
"His vehicle is still here." said Enzo. "He must be as well."  
  
"He might even be in this very room." said Michael.  
  
Blades hid in the shadows and watched the team. He moved a little to the side and knocked over a broom. It made a loud clatter.  
  
"It came from back there." said Kenny.  
  
"Rotor, fire!" called Blades as he emerged from hiding.  
  
A red rotor blade fired from his mask and spun towards the agents. They quickly dove out of the way.  
  
"No sign of him on the monitors." said Laura as she walked out of a hallway. She froze when she saw the rotor coming right at her. Her only response was a muffled gasp.  
  
"Look out!" yelled Max as he ran to her.  
  
He knocked her to the floor and out of the blade's path. After the blade had cut into the wall, Laura looked over at her savior.  
  
"Get him!" yelled Jeremy as Blades ran for the Rabbit.  
  
Blades breathed heavily as he ran. He ducked under the rotor blades and jumped through the open window. He looked up at the approaching agents and called "Rotor, fire!" again.  
  
Once again, the agents dove to the side to avoid the flying blade. Blades lifted off in the copter and docked with the Volkswagen's chassis. Once the car was complete, Blades got out of the vehicle bay as quickly as possible.  
  
"Great! First Darwood, now this guy!" groaned Scooter.  
  
"Are you two alright?" asked Liam.  
  
"I...I'm okay." said Laura as she picked herself off the floor.  
  
"Me too." said Max as he tried to catch his breath. "I can't believe I just saved someone's life."  
  
"I guess we're even then." said Laura. Max just looked confused.  
  
"You realize that Darwood now has a dangerous weapon." said Matt.  
  
"That's why we have to act quickly." said Jeremy.  
  
----------  
  
AN:Anybody care to guess what Laura found out about Max?  
  
Today's profiles will focus on the team's vehiclular experts, Wei and Caitlin.  
  
Wei Chang  
  
Allegiance:MASK 2  
  
Position:Heavy Vehicle Driver  
  
Cover Job:Truck Driver  
  
Birthplace:Shanghai  
  
Mask:Charger (allows him to maintain his momentum no matter what he hits)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Mammoth (Kenworth T800 Tanker Truck/mobile base)  
  
Bio:Wei is relatively new to the country having emigrated from China a year earlier. However, he has managed to adapt to American life very well. Wei learned how to drive big trucks on his parents' farm. After their deaths in a house fire, he decided to come to America. He teamed up with the FBI after several job offers from the local Triads.  
  
Caitlin Horowitz  
  
Allegiance:MASK 2  
  
Position:Wheelman  
  
Cover Job:Race Car Driver  
  
Birthplace:Philadelphia  
  
Mask:Lightspeed (fires laser beams)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Lightning (Lamborghini Gallardo/fast attack hovercraft)  
  
Bio:Caitlin was always into cars, even as a child. When she turned sixteen, she quickly aced her driver's test. Since then, she's been on the rise in the world of auto racing. She was chosen to try out for the new MASK team and was reluctant to join at first, but changed her mind after she had a feeling she should. (Note: Caitlin's inspiration to become a race car driver was Gloria Baker, but she has no idea Baker was a member of the original MASK team.)  
  
Thank you for reading. After the next chapter, I'm taking a little break. But not a permanent one. Don't worry, I'll wrap this story up. 


	6. Showdown

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
AN:Okay, this will be the last chapter for a while. Sometime later, I will be bringing out chapter seven which will be the start of a new story.  
  
Until then, here's chapter six:  
  
--------  
  
Showdown  
  
--------  
  
"Okay, let's put our cards on the table." said Jeremy. "Darwood's up to something, but what?"  
  
"For the moment, let's assume he's not planning on selling the weaponry." said Matt. "Let's suppose he's planning on using it himself."  
  
"The weapon he can create is a Sonic Wave Emitter." said Scooter. "As I pointed out earlier, he can use that to inflict a massive ammount of damage to a hard target in a short ammount of time."  
  
"What kind of target would Darwood want to destroy?" asked Jeffrey.  
  
"Without knowing his motives, it's hard to say." said Gates.  
  
"He managed to capture the wave generator an hour ago." said Bruce. "That gives us a few hours before he can assemble the pieces and mount it on something."  
  
"Guys, I'm thinking about something." said Chris. "Was the security on these stolen doodads at their normal levels?"  
  
Gates pulled out his notepad and checked it. "No, all the pieces that were stolen were taken during a brief reassignment of the guards." he said.  
  
"If that's so, how did Darwood know when to strike?" asked Enzo.  
  
"Yeah, that's a good point." said Kenny. "Maybe he's got someone on the inside."  
  
"As much as I'd hate to admit one of ours would do such a thing," said Claudia "I'm afraid it's our only possibility at the moment."  
  
"And therefore, it's our only lead." said Jeremy.  
  
----------  
  
At the Foxes' staging area, Dr. Frankenstein was snapping together the Sonic Wave Emitter. "Why am I the one who always puts these things together?" he asked.  
  
"'Cause you're the geek." said Gearbox.  
  
"And you failed science twice." said Frankenstein.  
  
"Who told you?" asked Gearbox as he rushed Frankenstein with a raised fist.  
  
His sister, Flash, grabbed his wrist. "Easy, Calvin." she said. "You shouldn't hurt him while he's working."  
  
"Especially considering how big this one is." said Frankenstein. "Even Darwood is preparing for battle."  
  
"Indeed." said Darwood as he entered. He had changed out of his business suit and into a red, white, and black jumpsuit. "I'm certain you will be finished soon."  
  
"Just a couple more snaps and I'll just have to install the software." said Frankenstein. "You want me to install it on the Monster immediately?"  
  
"Forget the Monster." said Darwood. "I have something else to install it on." He approached a steel door and pushed a switch. The door opened and revealed a red Acura NSX with a carbon fiber hood, aero body kit, and white lower body. The fox head emblem was nicely painted onto the hood. "Behold!" said Darwood. "The Firefox!"  
  
Frankenstein gulped. "I knew he was saving the best one for himself."  
  
----------  
  
"This is an outrage!" yelled the professor. "First, you fail to recover the stolen compnents, now you're accusing one of my men of assisting the thieves?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but it seems like the most likely possibility." said Jeremy. "Somehow, Darwood knew when the security around the components would be weakest and acted accordingly."  
  
"But my men would not do such a thing." said the professor.  
  
"Are you entirely certain?" asked Gates.  
  
While listening to this, the professor's scientist assistant snuck away guiltily. She stopped when she ran into Caitlin.  
  
"Going somewhere?" asked Caitlin.  
  
"Let me go!" yelled the scientist as Caitlin dragged her back to the others.  
  
"What's going on, Caitlin?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"I think this lady has something to tell you." said Caitlin.  
  
----------  
  
The Foxes prepared to mobilize. The Sonic Wave Emitter had been installed on the Firefox which was leading the group.  
  
"Looks like we're ready to move." said Gearbox.  
  
"Calvin, I was thinking." said Flash. "When the dam bursts, can you get out of the way in time?"  
  
"I'm not even going to be near it." said Gearbox. "Just relax. I'll be fine."  
  
"I'm actually kinda happy that Blades was captured." said Rocks. "Now, he can't screw this up."  
  
Just then, the Rabbit pulled up.  
  
"Spoke too soon." said Rocks.  
  
Blades jumped out of the car and ran towards the others. "Boy, am I glad to see..." he said before Hack cut him off with a punch to the stomach.  
  
"Where were you?" yelled Hack.  
  
"I was captured, you insensitive dork." groaned Blades as he tried to get back on his feet.  
  
"We won anyway." said Darwood. "We got the wave generator and the emitter is finished."  
  
"Then the Kane Valley operation is a go?" asked Blades.  
  
"We're just about ready to leave." said Darwood. "If you're coming, come now."  
  
The Foxes got into their vehicles. As they started to pull out, the mechanic from the transport truck crawled out from under the Monster and hid in the shadows. After the Foxes left, he took out his cel phone.  
  
----------  
  
While Jeremy and Gates interrogated the scientist, the other MASK agents stood around waiting.  
  
"What does she know?" asked Wei.  
  
"I dunno, but it had better be important." said Rocky.  
  
"Hey, Laura." said Max. "After I tackled you out of the way of that blade, you said we were even. What did you mean by that?"  
  
"I don't blame you for not remembering." said Laura. "We had you so shot up on pain-killers, you couldn't even tell us your name."  
  
"Wait, you were part of the ambulance crew that picked me up after my rock climbing accident?" asked Max. Laura responded with a nod. "Whoa." he muttered.  
  
"I dropped by your room at the hospital every day." said Laura. "I was back east visiting my relatives when you woke up. By the time I returned, your sister had already checked you out of the hospital."  
  
"Whoa, sounds like it was meant to be." said Enzo.  
  
"Knock it off, wise guy!" snapped Laura.  
  
Just then, Jeremy returned from the interrogation. "She finally came clean." he said. "Darwood offered her a large paycheck and a position at one of his companies if she arranged the security teams to be at their minimums during the heists."  
  
"Did she say anything else?" asked Kenny.  
  
"She said he asked her for something that could destroy a wall of reinfornced concrete and look like a natural disaster." said Jeremy.  
  
"Maybe he's planning on hitting a facility with another weapon to steal." said Caitlin.  
  
"The emitter would also damage whatever he wanted to steal." said Michael.  
  
"Maybe he's looking to hit a bank." said Chris.  
  
"A bank heist?" replied Rocky. "I think that's too small for Darwood's tastes."  
  
"Natural disaster. Natural disaster." muttered Scooter. "I've got it. I think he's planning on taking out a dam."  
  
"Sounds like a wall of reinforced concrete to me." said Laura.  
  
"Not only that, but the resulting cascade would cause serious damage." said Liam.  
  
"It's something to go on." said Jeremy. "We think we know what, but what we need to know is 'where?'."  
  
The professor ran in and said "The mechanic from the transport truck just called. He said he stowed away on one of their vehicles and hid in their staging area. He overheard them say something about Kane Valley."  
  
"There's a dam in Kane Valley." said Max. "I've climbed near it."  
  
"To your vehicles, team." ordered Jeremy. "Let's get this guy."  
  
----------  
  
The Foxes approached the Kane Valley Dam shortly after leaving their headquarters.  
  
"Get your last look at the dam, boys." said Darwood. "Within the hour, it shall be rubble."  
  
"Darwood, I was just checking the map." said Frankenstein. "I noticed an airfield not far from the dam. Maybe we can use their radar to keep an eye out for intruders."  
  
"Better safe than sorry, I guess." said Darwood. "Frankenstein, you work the radar. Hack and Slash will stand guard."  
  
"Got it." said Frankenstein.  
  
----------  
  
In short order, Frankenstein, Hack, and Slash snuck into the airfield and found the radar tower.  
  
"Guards." said Frankenstein. "I didn't count on this."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll take 'em." said Hack.  
  
"No, I can handle this." said Frankenstein. He targeted one of the guards and called "Droid, on!"  
  
A red bolt shot from his mask and hit the guard. The guard's expression went blank.  
  
"Knock out your partner." ordered Frankenstein. "Then, lock yourselves in the shed."  
  
The guard quickly turned and punched out his partner. He then picked him up and dragged him to the nearby tool shed.  
  
"As Darwood said, stand guard." said Frankenstein.  
  
"Okay." said Slash.  
  
----------  
  
Now, MASK 2 was approaching the dam.  
  
"I checked the map." said Scooter. "Kane Valley Dam is a flood-control dam. Without it, a good portion of the valley will be underwater, including two towns."  
  
"Does Darwood have any businesses in the valley?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"Yes, he's got a factory near one of the towns." replied Scooter. "According to Darwood Enterprises' financial report, it's not doing well."  
  
"Looks like he's looking to collect some insurance." said Kenny.  
  
"Hence the need for a natural disaster." said Michael.  
  
"Jeremy, there's an airfield not far from the dam." said Scooter. "I think the Foxes might use it for a staging area."  
  
"Let me take a look." said Jeremy as he stopped his car.  
  
"Let me wire into your mask." said Scooter as he worked the computer. A few seconds later, the display showed what Jeremy was seeing. Scooter then patched it through to the displays in the other agents' cars. "Okay, go."  
  
"White Hawk, on!" said Jeremy. A white energy probe flew from his mask and flew over the dam.  
  
"It's still standing, so we're not too late." said Enzo.  
  
The probe flew downriver and passed a rocky cliff.  
  
"That's where I climb." said Max.  
  
The probe flew up the cliff and came upon the airfield.  
  
"I don't see Darwood or his men." said Jeremy. "Looks like you're wrong this time." Then, he found Hack and Slash. "Wait a minute."  
  
"Looks like they're guarding the radar tower." said Liam.  
  
"So much for an airstrike." said Rocky.  
  
"Can that radar pick up the Mammoth?" asked Wei.  
  
"Maybe, I don't know." said Scooter. "In any case, it looks like we're going to need a good plan."  
  
"We either risk a ground assault or risk an airstrike." said Jeremy. "That's our only options."  
  
"Not necessarily." said Max.  
  
"You know something or are you just optimistic?" asked Caitlin.  
  
"A little of both." said Max. "If you check the surveillance photos, you'll notice that the gruesome twosome are looking away from the cliff."  
  
"That's because there's no one crazy enough to climb that thing." said Chris.  
  
"Except us." said Max.  
  
"Max, since you're so confident you can make that climb, you lead it." said Jeremy. "Scooter will drive the Bear for now. Chris and Kenny, you'll go with him since you're the ones who can best handle yourselves in a fight."  
  
"Me and my big mouth." groaned Chris.  
  
----------  
  
Within minutes, Max, Chris, and Kenny were at the base of the cliff and ready to climb.  
  
"How high is this cliff?" asked Kenny.  
  
"I dunno, a hundred feet maybe?" said Chris.  
  
"A hundred twenty." said Max. "Not that I've climbed this one. It's off limits due to the airfield."  
  
"It should be off limits due to those guys." said Kenny as he pointed at a flock of birds. "Peregrine falcons. Fastest birds in the air and protected by law."  
  
"Yeah, I can only imagine what the planes are doing to them." said Max. "Come on, every second we talk is another second we don't have to keep that dam intact."  
  
Max led the climb up the cliffside. Chris and Kenny followed carefully. A few minutes later, Max was waiting at the top. Chris and Kenny reached him a minute after that.  
  
"Looks like they're not expecting us." said Max.  
  
"Good, the element of surprise will come in very handy." said Chris.  
  
"Okay, we'll take down those two hoseheads..." said Kenny.  
  
"...and I'll take out their radar man." said Max.  
  
Max snuck over to the radar tower while Chris and Kenny snuck up behind Hack and Slash.  
  
"It doesn't look like anyone's going to try anything." said Hack.  
  
"Yeah, they're too scared of us." said Slash.  
  
"Hold on, it doesn't mean we're never going to see anyone." said Hack as Chris snuck up behind him and hit him in the arm with a spin kick. Hack fell over and got back up to face Chris. "Slash, give me a hand!" he called. "Slash?"  
  
He looked over to see that Kenny had Slash in a tight grip. Kenny then lifted Hack up and suplexed him.  
  
Max ran over to the radar tower and called "Whisper, on!" He was surrounded by a blue force field and approched the tower.  
  
"What's going on out there?" asked Frankenstein. "I'd better check the sensors." He activated the sensors and found nothing on infrared, sonar, or motion detectors. "Could've sworn there was something out there." he said as Max ran past the sensors completely undetected.  
  
Slash tackled Kenny and knocked him back into a steel girder. Kenny grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him off.  
  
Hack threw several punches at Chris, but he blocked every one of them. Finally, Chris launched another spin kick and hit Hack in the side.  
  
"Great, those idiots can't even pull off a guard mission without getting into trouble." groaned Frankenstein. "I guess I'd better contact Darwood."  
  
Just before he was about to activate the radio, Max grabbed his wrist. "Sorry, Simon didn't say." said Max.  
  
"What the..." said Frankenstein. He tried to fight off Max, but was quickly overpowered. Max grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards an equipment locker.  
  
"Okay, pal." he said. "It's high school flashback time."  
  
Outside, Hack somehow managed to get behind Chris and hold him in such a way he couldn't move his arms. "End of the line, partner." he said.  
  
"Guess I'll start a new line then." said Chris. He then swung his leg around and arched it to hit Hack in the back. Hack collapsed and Chris broke free.  
  
Max looked over the radar setup while Frankenstein pounded on the inside of the locker.  
  
"Now, how do I bypass the radar system?" asked Max to himself. He spotted a digital recorder and said "Of course."  
  
Outside, Slash had thrown Kenny to the ground and was ready to hit him with a steel rod. "I'm gonna hit you so hard, you'll fly like a bird!" he growled.  
  
"Bird?" said Kenny, remembering the falcons. "That's it! Noah, on!"  
  
A series of green energy rings were broadcast from his mask towards the falcons Kenny had seen just before the climb. Pretty soon, Kenny had the falcons' attention. "Help me with this guy and I'll lobby for your protection. Well, more." pleaded Kenny.  
  
The falcons listened and flew to his location. They found Slash about to swing the rod at Kenny. Quickly, they attacked Slash first. He dropped the rod and tried swatting at the birds.  
  
"Get away from me, you stupid birds!" yelled Slash.  
  
Kenny jumped back to his feet and charged Slash. The falcons flew out of the way as Kenny knocked Slash to his back. "Those are endangered!" he yelled.  
  
"Kenny, y'alright?" asked Chris.  
  
"Yeah, let's check on Max." said Kenny.  
  
The two ran to the radar tower and found Max hooking up the digital recorder to the radar setup. "It's almost ready." he said.  
  
A minute later, Max had finished the setup and recorded a couple of sweeps of the radar, then set it for infinite repeating.  
  
"Okay, that's done." said Max. "Let's signal Jeremy." He pushed a button on his watch.  
  
----------  
  
"Have ya heard from Max yet?" asked Liam.  
  
"No." said Jeremy.  
  
"Are you sure you haven't?" asked Liam.  
  
"Yes." said Jeremy.  
  
"Don't you think you might've missed his call?" asked Liam.  
  
"Liam, shut up." said Jeremy.  
  
"Well, I'm worried about him." said Liam. "He's never been in a situation like this before."  
  
"None of us have." said Laura. "Relax, he might be okay."  
  
"Jeremy, are you there?" asked Max over the radio.  
  
"Right here, Maxie." said Jeremy.  
  
"Max, ya had me worried." said Liam.  
  
"Don't worry, Liam." said Max. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. The radar is down. You have your window."  
  
"You heard him, guys." said Jeremy. "Let's hit it."  
  
----------  
  
"This is Fox Leader, checking in." said Darwood. "I'm prepared for takeoff. Other Foxes, check in."  
  
"This is Gearbox guarding the western end." said Gearbox. "Nothing to report.  
  
"This is Flash backing up Gearbox." said Flash. "Everything is a-okay."  
  
"This is Rocks." said Rocks. "The eastern end of the dam is clear."  
  
"This is Blades." said Blades. "Rocks is perfectly covered."  
  
"Good." said Darwood. "Here I go."  
  
The Firefox raced down a stretch of highway, then transformed. The rear section split into jet engines and rotated around to the sides of the car. The spoiler elevated into a pair of vertical stabilizers and a horizontal stabilizer. A pair of wings swung out from the car's bottom. The sonic wave emitter was mounted on the vehicle's underside.  
  
"Now, for the final touch." said Darwood. He pushed the green button on the control panel and his mask slid over his head. He turned the Firefox towards the dam and prepared the emitter for use.  
  
"Hey, Cass, did Darwood just take off?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"Yes. Why?" relied Flash.  
  
"Shouldn't he be showing up on radar?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"This is the proudest moment of my life." said Darwood as he approached the dam. "Say hello to the flood."  
  
Just as Darwood was about to get within effective range, the Ferret flew up from behind the dam.  
  
"What in the..." asked Darwood.  
  
Just then, the Skyhawk flew over the Firefox and flipped over. Jeremy then flew in close enough to see Darwood. The Foxes' leader was very surprised.  
  
"MASK, attack!" ordered Jeremy as he broke away from Darwood.  
  
The Monster and Rocket converted into battle mode. The Lion and Rabbit parked by the side of the dam and converted as well.  
  
"How did that chopper get behind the dam?" asked Rocks.  
  
"I dunno." said Blades. "But he's not getting one over on me again."  
  
"Guess I'll take out that Corvette for Darwood." said Rocks as he targeted the Skyhawk with his missiles.  
  
Before he could fire, the Lion was hit with a shot from another cannon. Rocks looked for the source and found Scooter in the Bear shooting at him. "I'll cover this guy." said Scooter as Laura sat next to him. "The rest of you try to take out those guards."  
  
The Lightning and Mammoth passed the Lion while Scooter kept it busy. The Rocket cruised towards them.  
  
"Now it's time to party." said Flash.  
  
"This one's mine." said Caitlin.  
  
The Rocket flew out over the lake with the Lightning in hot pursuit. The Mammoth engaged the Monster.  
  
Michael, who was in the back of the Mammoth, suddenly got nervous. "Wei, what's Darwood's target?" he asked.  
  
"The dam." replied Wei as he traded shots with Gearbox.  
  
"What are we parked on at the moment?" asked Michael.  
  
"I know!" said Wei. "Just let me waste this guy and we can get to safety."  
  
The Ferret and Rabbit faced each other in mid-air.  
  
"Ready to fight?" asked Blades.  
  
"Bring it on, lad!" dared Liam.  
  
The two flew towards each other and opened fire. The Rabbit lost a horizontal stabilizer, but managed to take off the Ferret's infrared jammer. The helicopters turned around and repeated the cycle.  
  
Jeremy and Darwood continued their dogfight. Everytime one had the other in their sights, the target would perform a defensive maneuver and come out of harm's way.  
  
"This is getting annoying." said Darwood. "Time to do what I came to do." He turned back towards the dam and prepared the wave emitter.  
  
"Great." groaned Jeremy. He opened a communincations channel and told his fellow agents "Guys, I tried a diversionary tactic, but it failed. Darwood's going to take out the dam. I suggest you try to defeat your current opponent ASAP and prepare to take out Darwood when he approaches."  
  
"Don't you think I'm trying?" asked Scooter as he continued to trade shots with Rocks.  
  
Laura looked over the battle and said "Aim for the hillside."  
  
Scooter lowered his aim and fired upon the hillside the Lion was parked on. The tall vehicle started to fall over. Rocks had to change it back into civilian mode to prevent a catastrophie.  
  
"Did you hear that?" asked Enzo in the Lightning's passenger seat. "Jeremy needs our help."  
  
"A diversionary tactic?" asked Caitlin. "That's what she's doing. She's leading me away from the battle." Caitlin broke off her pursuit and turned back towards the dam.  
  
Flash looked behind her and noticed the Lightning was not there. "Uh oh." she said and quickly turned back.  
  
The Ferret and Rabbit were both slightly damaged at this time.  
  
"I think it'd be best if you were to give up now." said Liam.  
  
"Not while I've got you on the ropes." said Blades as he lined up for his next attack.  
  
"Safety, on!" called Rocky from the cliffside nearest the battle. A yellow wave of energy fired from his mask and swept through the Rabbit.  
  
Blades tried to fire his weapons, only to discover they weren't working. "Well, look at the time." he said. "Gotta run."  
  
"It's about bloody time you showed up!" yelled Liam.  
  
"He wasn't in range yet." replied Rocky. "Besides, you had the situation in hand."  
  
"I'm getting reports that the others have leveled the playing field." said Michael.  
  
"Great, now they can help us with this guy." said Wei as he continued to trade fire with the Monster.  
  
On the road nearby, a car stopped and let out Max, Chris, and Kenny.  
  
"Thanks for the lift." said Max.  
  
"Hey hey." said the driver as he turned around and drove off.  
  
"There!" said Kenny as he pointed to the Monster.  
  
"Let's get 'em." said Chris.  
  
Gearbox contiued firing on the Mammoth. "Is this ever going to end?" he asked.  
  
"Maybe we should put the Mammoth in fortress mode." suggested Wei.  
  
"Not enough room." said Michael. "If we turn it sideways, we'll only be able to use half the weapons."  
  
The Lightning and Rocket approached the dam. The Rocket was now in pursuit and firing on the Lightning.  
  
"Hey, Caitlin." said Enzo. "Does that car have anything keeping it upright?"  
  
"Vertical stabilizers, as far as I can tell." said Caitlin.  
  
"Just what I wanted to hear." said Enzo as he turned back to the Rocket and called "Torque, on!"  
  
A blue cone shone from his mask and hit the Rocket. The Rocket was flipped over and tumbled across the water like a boulder.  
  
"Cassidy!" yelled Gearbox. He turned the guns towards the Lightning.  
  
"Now's our chance!" said Michael.  
  
"Got it!" said Wei. He turned the Mammoth back into civilian mode and drove towards the Monster. "Charger, on!" he called.  
  
A yellow field surrounded the Mammoth as it rolled forward. It rammed into the Monster and knocked it away from the dam.  
  
On the other side, Max and Chris jumped out of the way of the sliding vehicle. Kenny, on the other hand, jumped aboard.  
  
"Why you little..." growled Gearbox as he turned his guns on the Mammoth. Before he could fire, Kenny got him in a headlock.  
  
"That's enough." said Kenny.  
  
"If I'd known it would be that simple, I would've just done that." said Wei.  
  
Max clapped. Then he turned around and saw the Firefox on its final approach. "Oh no!" he cried.  
  
Jeremy came over the radio again. "Guys, it's now or never! Concentrate your weapons fire on Darwood!"  
  
"Don't even bother to transform." said Michael as he opened the hatch and stuck his head out.  
  
On the other side of the gorge, the Warhorse and Bear pulled up to the cliffside. Scooter told Laura "You take the helm. I'll take care of this."  
  
"But I wasn't trained with this vehicle." explained Laura.  
  
"Then your training starts now." said Scooter as he opened the hatch.  
  
Liam checked his weapons systems and found they were in working order.  
  
Jeremy flew up under the Firefox and said "Alright, guys! Hit it! Red Hawk, fire!" A red energy projectile fired from his mask.  
  
"Safety, on!" called Rocky. A yellow wave of energy shot from his mask.  
  
"Glytch, on!" called Scooter. A silver wave shone from his mask.  
  
Laura fired the Bear's anti-aircraft guns at the Firefox.  
  
"Lightspeed, fire!" called Caitlin. A red laser beam fired from her mask.  
  
Kenny fired the Monster's surface-to-air missiles at the Firefox.  
  
"Heat, on!" called Michael. A red heat ray shone from his mask.  
  
Liam fired a salvo of missiles at the Firefox.  
  
In short order, the Firefox was pummeled by the multiple shots. Many of the shots were directed at the sonic wave emitter and did serious damage. A few seconds later, the emitter shorted out and exploded.  
  
Darwood shook off the shock of the firefight and his onboard computer told him his weapons management system had overloaded. He let out a growl.  
  
"It's over, Darwood!" said Jeremy. "You're out of options. There's no more fighting."  
  
"Yes, but I did leave a plan for escape." said Darwood. "Fox, on!"  
  
A brilliant white flash burst from Darwood's mask. All of the MASK agents suddenly felt very confused.  
  
"Hurry!" ordered Darwood. "That wave of confusion will only last long enough for us to get out of here."  
  
Rocks never got a chance to put the Lion back into battle mode. He drove out of the area quickly.  
  
Blades was already gone.  
  
Flash converted the battered Rocket back into a car and drove away.  
  
Gearbox shoved Kenny out of the Monster and followed his sister.  
  
Darwood flew away while trying to keep the Firefox together.  
  
The MASK agents regained their senses shortly after the Foxes left. "Did we win?" asked Max.  
  
"The dam's still standing." said Wei. "Darwood and his men are gone."  
  
"I'm willing to call this a victory despite the fact that Darwood got away." said Jeremy.  
  
"Yep." said Chris. "Teamwork. That's what it's all about."  
  
----------  
  
Some time later, the Foxes limped their vehicles into a new base.  
  
"Well, men." said Darwood as he climbed out of the Firefox. "Welcome to our true base."  
  
"How many bases do we have?" asked Flash.  
  
"I try to find one for every mission." said Darwood. "I have my sources."  
  
"We could've taken down MASK with your mask!" said Gearbox.  
  
"A mask as powerful as my Fox mask requires a lot of energy." said Darwood. "I can only use it once an hour so I have to conserve power."  
  
"Maybe we should attack MASK's base when we're capable again." said Rocks.  
  
"No, we can't." said Darwood. "Sanchez and Gates are not fools. I'm sure they will have a new base as well when this is all over."  
  
----------  
  
"I think we should attack the Foxes' base as soon as we get back on our feet." said Rocky.  
  
"No, that's not possible." said Jeremy. "Darwood's a smart man. He's no doubt got a new base waiting for him like we do."  
  
"Where is our new base?" asked Max.  
  
"It's in the Santa Monica Mountains." said Jeremy. "The entrance is marked by a modern house."  
  
"What was that weapon Darwood had in his mask?" asked Kenny.  
  
"As far as I can tell, it was some kind of hypnosis ray." said Scooter. "It appeared to be designed to leave its victims confused for ten seconds."  
  
"Hey, guys." said Chris. "He's coming."  
  
Gates entered the room with Matt, Bruce, and the design team. The agents applauded.  
  
"I should retire more often." joked Gates.  
  
"Congratulations on your retirement." said Enzo.  
  
"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Laura.  
  
"I'll see." said Gates.  
  
"It was a pleasure working with you and learning from you." said Jeremy.  
  
"Thank you, Jeremy." said Gates. "It was a pleasure working with you as well."  
  
"Lawrence," said Matt "Bruce and the others came up with a retirement present for you."  
  
"Here it is." said Bruce as he brought in a box slightly bigger than a human head.  
  
"Is it a hat?" asked Kenny.  
  
"Sort of." said Claudia.  
  
Gates opened the box and looked inside. He smiled as he reached inside. He pulled out...  
  
"A mask." said Wei.  
  
"You got me my own mask." said Gates.  
  
"It's called Authority." said Matt. "It projects a beam that forces its victims to obey your commands."  
  
"Good thing it's not in Darwood's hands." said Gates.  
  
"Speaking of which, we have to prepare for his next attack." said Jeremy. "Darwood may have lost this battle, but he's not going to just curl up at home and lick his wounds. The Foxes are going to remain ever vigilant, so we must be as well. I'm in. Who's with me?"  
  
All the agents raised their hands.  
  
----------  
  
AN:And that's the end of the first case. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple of months for the start of the next one.  
  
I'm sorry to leave you waiting, but I'm working on a couple of other fics. I promise I will be back.  
  
For now, here's a new trio of profiles. This time, they are for the team leaders, Jeremy Sanchez and Malcolm Darwood. As a bonus, I'm throwing in Gates' profile as well.  
  
Jeremy Sanchez  
  
Allegiance:MASK 2  
  
Position:Leader  
  
Cover Job:FBI Agent  
  
Birthplace:Los Angeles  
  
Mask:Hawk (triple function; Red Hawk fires an energy projectile, White Hawk launches a probe, Blue Hawk launches a drone that can carry small objects)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Skyhawk (Chevrolet Corvette/interceptor jet)  
  
Bio:Jeremy grew up with a strong sense of justice starting when he helped police catch a drug dealer at his high school. He has since joined the FBI where his ability to quickly evaluate a situation proved quite useful. Gates suggested him for a possible candidate for the leader of the new MASK, a suggestion he does not regret.  
  
Malcolm Darwood  
  
Allegiance:The Foxes  
  
Position:Leader  
  
Cover Job:Businessman  
  
Birthplace:New York City  
  
Mask:Fox (fires a flash of light that renders its victims confused for 10 seconds)  
  
Vehicle Code Name:Firefox (Acura NSX/attack jet)  
  
Bio:Darwood was very ambitious in high school and college with his workings on the debate team and in business courses. One night, he and his classmates were performing a prank when they ran across Miles Mayhem who was in the middle of a VENOM mission. Rather than eliminate the young Darwood, Mayhem took him under his wing to craft a possible successor to his legacy.  
  
Lawrence Gates  
  
Allegiance:FBI  
  
Position:Field Agent (retired)  
  
Birthplace:Sacramento  
  
Mask:Authority (fires an energy wave that forces those caught by it to follow his orders)  
  
Bio:An experienced agent for the FBI, Lawrence Gates always knew he'd see some strange things in his line of work. He never dreamed he'd see vehicles that transform into combat vehicles or masks with seemingly magical powers. He saw both of those when he worked with the original MASK team. When VENOM was defeated, he promised Matt Trakker that he'd help to form a new team if a new threat showed up to take VENOM's place.  
  
Thank you. I shall return. 


	7. Restructuring

MASK 2:The Next Generation

-------------  
  
Restructuring

-------------  
  
AN:Thank you for your patience and welcome back.  
Here, we begin the second part of the story. A new case will present itself and we're going to see some new faces, complete with new vehicles and, of course, masks.  
But, enough talk. Let's go.  
  
----------  
  
The Foxes had gathered in their staging area. Darwood had called a meeting.  
  
"What's this about?" asked Dr. Frankenstein.  
  
"I dunno." said Gearbox. "The last meeting like this I attended was at the supermarket where I worked. They were going out of business."  
  
"Uh oh." said Blades.  
  
Darwood walked in at that moment and looked around. "Oh good." he said. "You all made it. Well, I'm sure you're all wondering what this is all about."  
  
"Yeah, why are we are?" asked Flash.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you're all aware that for the past few months, we've been battling the second MASK team." said Darwood. "I'm sure you're also aware they've been kicking our butts!"  
  
"Can't be helped." said Rocks. "We need to do something different."  
  
"That's the exact reason I called this meeting." said Darwood. "We need to figure out how to improve ourselves. First of all, what advantages has MASK got over us?"  
  
"Well, they outnumber us for one." said Hack. "I think we could call upon some new operatives."  
  
"Some new meat would definitely be a help." said Slash.  
  
"Yes, I agree." said Darwood. "However, we can't just add new agents and expect results. What qualities should we pursue? What qualities do our current members lack?"  
  
"Well, we do have a general low average in the intelligence department." said Gearbox. "We'd be embarrassing if it wasn't for the geek." he added while pointing to Dr. Frankenstein.  
  
"Now, I wonder who's bringing the average down?" cracked Frankenstein as he looked at Gearbox.  
  
"Can we also call on someone who's good at martial arts?" asked Hack. "MASK has a martial artist who keeps wasting us in battle."  
  
"A smart guy and a martial artist." said Darwood. "One more and I've got him already picked out."  
  
"Can we get something to drive?" asked Slash.  
  
"I'm sure we can arrange that." said Darwood. "Now, about your androids, Dr. Frankenstein."  
  
"What about them?" asked Frankenstein.  
  
"We've been relying on them to back us up and they're failing." said Darwood. "They're being knocked out too easily."  
  
"I'm aware of that and I'm working on it." said Frankenstein. "I'm making some improvements on the next versions of the Wasps and Hornets and I'll be definitely working out that little defect."  
  
"What other improvements are you making?" asked Darwood.  
  
"The Hornets will be given increased weapons proficiency." said Frankenstein. "The Wasps will be given additional driving ability. I'm even working on a new vehicle for them."  
  
"Tell me about it." said Darwood.  
  
"I call it the Deviator." said Frankenstein. "It's a roadster that has some pop-out weapons and separates similar to the Rats."  
  
"I like it." said Darwood. "Let's continue these plans later. Very well, we have our game plan. Gearbox and Rocks, I want you to find the brain and the brawler. Flash, I want you to help Hack and Slash track down some vehicles for themselves. Dr. Frankenstein, I want you to continue working on your androids. Blades, I have a special assignment for you. That is all. You have your assignments. Go."  
  
"Come on, guys." said Flash. "I know some prime junkyards we can hit."  
  
"Cool!" said Slash. "I love junkyards!"  
  
"Hey, Rocks." said Gearbox. "I think I know someone who can be our brain and our brawler. You up for a trip to Vegas?"  
  
"Always." said Rocks.  
  
"What do you want?" asked Blades.  
  
"I need you to track down an old friend of mine." said Darwood.  
  
----------  
  
At MASK headquarters, a similar meeting was taking place.  
  
"Agents of MASK, I'll bet you're wondering why I called this meeting." said Jeremy. "Well, the fact is that the battle against the Foxes has been yielding bittersweet results. They haven't won any battles and none of their plans have worked as yet. On the other hand, we have been unable to capture any of them for any significant time. Any thoughts?"  
  
"We'd probably have a better chance of catching him if he didn't use that bloody Fox mask of his." said Liam.  
  
"Jeremy, if I may." said Michael. "Since the team's inception, half of us have had to ride shotgun. What I'd like to suggest is to give the rest of us vehicles."  
  
"Apparently, the design team agrees with you." said Jeremy. "They're currently rushing vehicles for you into construction."  
  
"It's about time." said Laura.  
  
"Not to complain, but we've had some cases beyond our skills." said Max. "I think we might need some specialized training."  
  
"I'll save you the trouble." said Jeremy. "When I chose the members of this team, there was a list of twenty-five candidates I had to choose from. I chose the nine of you because your skills had the most use. Everyone else's was too specialized. However, many of the missions we face, as Max said, require some of those skills. Therefore, I have put forth a recommendation that the other candidates be put on call in case we require their skills."  
  
"So, we have alternates now." said Caitlin.  
  
"Si, more bulletstoppers." said Enzo. He got a few laughs with the comment.  
  
"Other than that, I have nothing to say." said Jeremy. "You're all dismissed."  
  
----------  
  
That night in Las Vegas, Rocks pulled into a parking lot behind a hardware store. He and Gearbox climbed out of the Lion and walked over to the store's back door.  
  
"Let me do the talking." said Rocks.  
  
There was a strong-looking man next to the door. He said "Hold it. This place is closed. Come back in the morning."  
  
"I'm just here to hammer some nails." said Rocks.  
  
"Hurry, the second match is about to begin." said the man as he opened the door.  
  
Rocks and Gearbox entered the loading dock and found an underground fighting match taking place.  
  
"Okay, I got you in." said Rocks. "Where's your guy?"  
  
"Right there." said Gearbox as he pointed into the middle of the ring. There were two fighters ready to fight. "He's the blonde." said Gearbox.  
  
Rocks looked at the man in question. He was a well-built man with short blonde hair and a moustache. He was wearing sweat pants and a tank top and was fighting barefoot.  
  
"Ready? Fight!" yelled the referee.  
  
The two fighters moved towards each other. The blonde guy's opponent threw a punch at him, but he caught the guy's wrist and hit back with punches to the elbow, ribs, and jaw within a second.  
  
"His name's Dennis Paulsen." said Gearbox. "He knows four styles of kung fu and was part of the World Styles Confederation. That's a martial arts competition group that specializes in matches between different martial arts diciplines."  
  
"Why'd he leave?" asked Rocks as Paulsen sidestepped a series of punches.  
  
"He lost a match under suspicious circumstances." said Gearbox. "He says he would've won if the other guy had followed the rules."  
  
"I think he very much would have." said Rocks as he watched Paulsen deliver a series of spin kicks to his current opponent. The opponent finally got tired of getting hit and trapped his leg. Paulsen jumped up an kicked him with his other leg.  
  
They both fell to the ground, but Paulsen sprung back to his feet quickly. His opponent got back up and tried to attack, but Paulsen took him down with a kick to the chest. Totally spent, he didn't get back up.  
  
"Alright, who had money on him?" asked the ref.  
  
Paulsen took in the applause. He waved to the crowd, then froze when he saw Gearbox.  
  
"Let's go talk." said Gearbox.  
  
He and Rocks followed him away from the ring. "Dennis!" he called.  
  
"What are you looking for, Lucas?" asked Dennis.  
  
"I need to talk to you about a possible job." said Gearbox.  
  
"In that case, you should talk to me." said another voice. Rocks and Gearbox turned to see a young man with brown, curly hair and glasses approaching. "Leonard Norris, Mr. Paulsen's manager. Well, if it isn't Calvin Lucas."  
  
"Nice to see you haven't lost that Harvard charm." said Gearbox. "Rocks, this is the other guy I was talking about."  
  
"We have a proposal for you." said Rocks. "We have this group of criminals who are looking to pull off some cases you wouldn't believe. We need some new blood..."  
  
"And I'm just the guy you're looking for." said Paulsen. "Thanks, but I'm small time. You're looking for a professional slimeball."  
  
"I'm thinking you could be that professional slimeball." said Gearbox. "I know you have it in you."  
  
"Are you talking about that fencing op in Salt Lake City?" asked Paulsen. "You promised nothing would go wrong!"  
  
"Hey, I didn't know Raines was an undercover cop." said Gearbox. "Besides, I was the one who was caught. Remember?"  
  
"He said no deal." said Norris. "Beat it."  
  
Somebody ran over and yelled "The cops are coming! The cops are coming!"  
  
"I'll tell you what." said Paulsen. "You get us out of here and I'll think it over."  
  
"We, uh, didn't have a ride." said Norris.  
  
"Come on." yelled Rocks.  
  
They ran outside with the rest of the spectators, who all went to their cars.  
  
"Black Hummer with a cow skull on the grill." said Gearbox.  
  
"Nice wheels." said Paulsen as they climbed into the Lion. Rocks was driving, Gearbox took shotgun, and Paulsen and Norris sat in back.  
  
Several of the other spectators got to their cars and tried to drive off. The first to try to leave drove his Chrysler 300 down an alley. He stopped when he encountered two police cars. Another group tried to escape out another alley, but the police sealed that off as well. A pair of patrol cars entered the parking lot and started to round up anyone else.  
  
"Well, this is a great business relationship." said Norris. "Ten minutes in and we get arrested together."  
  
"Not on my watch!" said Rocks. He threw the Lion into gear and charged one of the police cars.  
  
"I've got an idea." said Norris. "Lead him close to that wall." Norris pointed to a wall about as high as a car's roof. On the other side was a hillside.  
  
Rocks steered towards the wall. The police car tried to cut him off.  
  
"Let him get right next to the wall." said Norris.  
  
Rocks backed up a little and the police car was almost parallel to the wall.  
  
"Good, now ram him head on." said Norris.  
  
Rocks rammed the police car and drove up onto the hood.  
  
"Go over the wall!" yelled Norris.  
  
Rocks drove up onto the car's roof and drove over the wall. He continued up the hill on the other side.  
  
"Nice work." said Rocks.  
  
"You're a good director." said Gearbox.  
  
"But what I've always wanted to do is produce!" joked Norris.  
  
"We're almost to the highway." announced Rocks.  
  
Just before he got there, two police trucks appeared in front of him.  
  
"Sorry, I'm out of ideas." said Norris.  
  
"Didn't have room for this earlier." said Rocks. He activated the Lion's transformation sequence.  
  
The body extended to the rear, then rose up with the rear on top of the passenger compartment, itself on top of the front. Missiles were revealed in the rear, cannons swung up onto the sides of the passenger compartment, and the hood swung down, revealing machine guns.  
  
"Whoa!" said Paulsen. "Something tells me this is not standard equipment!"  
  
Rocks aimed at the police trucks and opened fire, heavily damaging them. After that, it changed back into civilian mode and hit the interstate.  
  
----------  
  
A few hours later, the Lion returned to the Foxes' headquarters.  
  
"Have fun?" asked Darwood as the men got out of the Lion.  
  
"You bet." said Gearbox. "Oh, by the way, meet your new thinking man, Leonard Norris, and your new martial artist, Dennis Paulsen. Guys, meet Malcolm Darwood."  
  
"Wow, this is a shock." said Norris. "I mean I've heard of Malcolm Darwood being involved in shady deals, but a criminal mastermind?"  
  
"Yeah, we're moving up in the world." said Paulsen.  
  
"So, you will be my new operatives." said Darwood. "You're going to need code names and I've got a pair picked out for you. Mr. Norris, you're a thinker and you use your brain a lot. Therefore, I shall name you after your brain's housing, Skull. Mr. Paulsen, you're a fighter and you end up striking and blocking with your arms and legs frequently. I will then call you by what you do with your framework, Crossbones."  
  
"Skull and Crossbones?" asked Norris, a.k.a. Skull.  
  
"Sounds apropriately piratey." said Paulsen, a.k.a. Crossbones.  
  
AN:As of now, Norris will be called Skull and Paulsen will be called Crossbones.  
  
Gearbox walked into the next room and said "Hey, Cass, how'd you do?"  
  
"Check it out." said Flash. She showed off three vehicles she, Hack, and Slash aquired, a '71 Mustang Mach 1, an Isuzu VEHICross, and a Chevrolet Express van.  
  
"These are the vehicles you're using?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"I've already laid claim to the 'Stang." said Hack.  
  
"The Isuzu's mine." said Slash.  
  
"But who's gonna get the van?" asked Gearbox.  
  
"One of the new guys." said Flash.  
  
----------  
  
The next morning at L.A's FBI branch office, Jeremy walked into his division's office.  
  
"Jeremy!" called a voice. Jeremy looked to see...  
  
"Scooter!" he replied. "What's up? What's wrong?"  
  
"This came over the police wire last night." said Scooter. "I thought you should be notified."  
  
He handed Jeremy a PDA. Jeremy read the file on it.  
  
"Police busted up a street fight in Vegas last night." said Scooter.  
  
"One of the fleeing vehicles matches the Lion's description." said Jeremy. "In fact, it's the only one that got away."  
  
"They wrecked three police vehicles and sent three officers to the hospital." said Scooter. "Everyone at the fight was accounted for, except one of the fighters and his manager."  
  
"Names?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"The fighter was Dennis Paulsen and his manager was Leonard Norris." said Scooter. "What do you think they're up to?"  
  
"I don't know." said Jeremy. "A street fighter and his manager? I think we can probably rule out kidnapping. Dennis Paulsen, there's something familiar about that name."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" asked Scooter.  
  
"Keep looking for Foxes activity." said Jeremy. "I'll give this to my superiors to further justify my request."  
  
"Got it." said Scooter. "I'll catch you later."  
  
As Scooter left, Jeremy looked over the file and asked "What are you doing, Malcolm?"  
  
----------  
  
A few weeks later, Crossbones was practicing in the Foxes' training center. He had changed into his combat outfit, a white jumpsuit with yellow stripes and no sleeves.  
  
He went through his series of katas, performing various punches and kicks, blocks and strikes. When he was done, he bowed to his imaginary opponent.  
  
"How's the new outfit working?" asked Skull as he entered. He had changed into a blue and red jumpsuit himself.  
  
"Great." said Crossbones. "Looks good. Got my full range of movement. Keeps me warm. Yours?"  
  
"Can't complain." said Skull. "I just wanted to check in on you. Darwood wants me for something."  
  
"Alright, I'll catch you later." said Crossbones.  
  
----------  
  
Shortly afterward, Skull walked into the planning room to find Darwood, Blades, and Dr. Frankenstein huddled around a table.  
  
"What's up?" asked Skull.  
  
"Come look at this." said Darwood as he directed Skull to the table. Skull walked over to see a holographic projection of an island with a military base on it.  
  
"What is this place?" asked Skull.  
  
"It's the George Island Weapon Disposal Facility." said Dr. Frankenstein. "It's a place they send obsolete and unusable weapons prototypes to be dismantled and melted down."  
  
"And you're looking at this place why?" asked Skull. "To somehow grab onto some piece of weaponry that you might find useful?"  
  
"Sharp thinking." said Darwood. "We're after one piece of equipment specificly."  
  
"How do you know it hasn't been destroyed yet?" asked Skull.  
  
"The facility is years behind schedule." said Blades. "You'd probably find stuff there from the seventies."  
  
"Anyways, this is the plan we had in mind." said Darwood as he punched a few buttons. Their plans started to be displayed across the hologram. "Tell me, will this work?"  
  
Skull walked around the table looking at the plans. After about half a minute, he said "Well, first the good news. After this plan goes south, you'll probably have only a minute of suffering before it's all over."  
  
"Okay, do your best to improve upon this plan." said Darwood. "I'm giving you until tomorrow afternoon to come up with a workable plan."  
  
"I'll see what I can do." said Skull.  
  
"I'll leave you to your work." said Darwood as he, Frankenstein, and Blades left. "Blades, how goes your search for my friend?"  
  
"I found him." said Blades. "He's willing to work for you if you can get him into the country undetected."  
  
----------  
  
Late that night, Skull was still working on the plan.  
  
"No, that won't work either." he said. "I'm missing something. What?"  
  
"Thinktank got a leak?" asked Blades.  
  
"I keep thinking there's an obvious solution, but it eludes me." said Skull. "I make the plans in my head, but when I check them, they always turn out disastrously."  
  
"I see." said Blades. "If it helps, maybe I should tell you why Darwood wants to raid this place so badly."  
  
"Go ahead." said Skull.  
  
----------  
  
The following afternoon, the deadline came. Darwood entered the planning area to find Skull leaning against the table.  
  
"Well, where's the plan?" asked Darwood.  
  
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" asked Skull.  
  
"Find what out?" asked Darwood.  
  
"The reason you wanted to raid this facility." said Skull. "The man in charge is retired FBI agent Lawrence Gates. He's the man who formed the second MASK team."  
  
"Yes, that's true." said Darwood. "I don't see how it pertains to your plan."  
  
"That's because I haven't detailed it yet." said Skull. "Here's the deal. You send in two, maybe more, agents to wreak havoc on the base. They'll never be able to defeat the guards, but they can at least look like they're trying. While that's going on, someone else infiltrates the manager's house on the overlooking mountain here. When they have Gates in our control, we get him to surrender everything."  
  
"Gates would never surrender that easily." said Darwood. "Taking him hostage won't work."  
  
"That's why we have to act quickly." said Skull. "I hacked into the base's guest log and it turns out Gates has a visitor he would surrender everything easily for...his daughter Julie."  
  
Darwood smiled. "You have the makings of an excellent agent, Skull." He said. "Very devious."  
  
----------  
  
A few weeks later, the Foxes were getting ready for the George Island raid. The Mustang, VEHICross, and van had been finished.  
  
Hack leaned against the Mustang. It was painted bright red with silver racing stripes down the hood and roof. Silver stripes also ran down the sides. Mag wheels and a hood scoop completed the look.  
  
Slash stood next to the VEHICross. It was silver with a charging mountain goat painted on either side. A custom brush guard was affixed to the front and it was fitted with off-road tires.  
  
Crossbones looked at the white van with slight dismay. It had been painted to look like a plumber's van, complete with a dripping faucet on the side and the slogan "Before your kitchen resembles Venice, call Paulsen Plumbing. 555-WASH."  
  
"This has got to be a joke." groaned Crossbones.  
  
"You snooze, you lose." laughed Slash.  
  
"Are we doing this?" asked Hack.  
  
"Wait, guys." said Skull. "Darwood said he had something else that was new."  
  
"Indeed I do." said Darwood as he walked over. "We will be travelling to George Island in style. We will be in this."  
  
He held out his hand to a large red plane. "Meet the Foxbat." he said.  
  
"Nice." said Skull.  
  
"Time to load up." said Darwood. "You guys will be flying on the Foxbat's auxillary craft, the Kit."  
  
He pointed to a smaller craft. It was also red and had engines at the ends of its wings.  
  
"Why are we going on the Kit?" asked Crossbones.  
  
"It's smaller than the Foxbat and doesn't require a runway since it's VTOL." said Darwood. "It'll suit our purposes just fine."  
  
"Very well." said Skull. "Let's go, I guess."  
  
----------  
  
Within hours, the Foxbat and Kit were over the Pacific Ocean on their way to George Island. The Kit was piggybacking on the Foxbat. On board the Kit were Hack, Slash, Skull, Crossbones and their vehicles. Dr. Frankenstein was in the pilot's seat.  
  
"This is your craft?" asked Hack.  
  
"I designed it to insert my androids into a combat zone with little trouble." said Frankenstein. "However, it works for this mission just fine."  
  
"Frankenstein, we are nearing George Island's radar net." said Darwood over the radio. "Prepare to launch."  
  
"Roger, tower." joked Frankenstein. He flipped a few switches and started the engines. He released the locks and broke away from the Foxbat. He flew towards George Island.  
  
"We should be showing up on their radar about now." said Frankenstein.  
  
"Can you get us in before they can react?" asked Skull.  
  
"I'll see." said Frankenstein. He flew the Kit over a river.  
  
----------  
  
"Sir, I think you should see this." said a radar tech at the George Island facility.  
  
Her supervisor walked over and said "What is it?"  
  
"I've got something approaching the island." said the radar tech. "It's coming in fast. It appears to be...that's weird. It's gone."  
  
"Where did it disappear?" asked the supervisor.  
  
"Here." said the radar tech as she pointed at the screen. "That's right around the river. They might be using it to hide from the radar."  
  
The supervisor took his radio and said "Send out a patrol to the river and increase security. We have a possible intruder in the area."  
  
"Understood, captain." said the person on the other end.  
  
----------  
  
In a small house overlooking the base, Julie Gates looked out the window as the sirens started to blare.  
  
"Something's going on at the base." she said.  
  
"I just heard." said her father, retired FBI agent Lawrence Gates. "Something showed up on radar and they're on their way to investigate."  
  
"Who is it?" asked Julie. "Malcolm Darwood?"  
  
"No no no." laughed Gates. "I seriously don't think it's him." He turned and walked away. He muttered "If this is Darwood, I'll personally send him to his grave for making me a liar."  
  
----------  
  
At a bend in the river, the Kit had touched down and released its cargo.  
  
"Okay, have fun storming the castle." said Frankenstein. "See you afterwards."  
  
As Frankenstein flew off, Skull turned to Hack and Slash and said "You guys know the plan?"  
  
"Yeah, I got it." said Hack. "Me and Slash raise a ruckus in the base with the Doberman and Ram while you pay the guy in charge a visit with the Beluga."  
  
"Good, you understand." said Skull as he got into Crossbones' van, the Beluga. "Let's move out."  
  
The three vehicles rolled out. Hack and Slash took the road towards the base while Skull and Crossbones took the road to the overseer's house. Not long after that, Slash noticed a group of vehicles approaching their position.  
  
"Uh, Hack, we've got company." he said.  
  
"No problem." said Hack. "We're almost to the power station. I have a plan."  
  
The patrol drove down the road towards the power station. They passed it shortly thereafter.  
  
"Sir, shouldn't we check the parking lot of the power station?" asked one soldier. "For all we know, they could be hiding there."  
  
"I took a quick glance." said another soldier. "There's nothing out of the ordinary."  
  
The power station's parking lot was filled with civilian vehicles. If the soldiers had given the lot a search, they would have found a Mustang and a VEHICross that didn't belong there.  
  
"They ignored us." said Slash.  
  
"Good thing too." said Hack. "Come on, Skull and Crossbones are depending on us."  
  
----------  
  
Skull and Crossbones drove up the road to the house.  
  
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" asked Crossbones.  
  
"There's no way to be sure." said Skull. "Darwood's map didn't show roads and there are no other maps."  
  
"If there are no maps, how did Darwood get one?" asked Crossbones.  
  
"The Foxbat is a reconnaissance plane as well as a transport." said Skull. "I think we're lucky he was able to get that."  
  
"What the..?" said Crossbones as a pair of Hummers blocked off a bridge in front of them.  
  
"Halt and exit your vehicle now!" ordered a soldier in one of the Hummers.  
  
"No way, Jose." said Crossbones as he turned off the road and drove straight towards the river.  
  
"Sir, we are pursuing a white Chevy Express plumber's van." said one of the soldiers into his radio. "He appears to be heading straight towards the river."  
  
"Here we go." said Crossbones as he drove off the embankment and into the river.  
  
"Sir, the van has driven into the river!" radioed the soldier. "Repeat, the van has driven into the river!"  
  
----------  
  
"I heard there was an intruder on radar." said one of the guards at the gate.  
  
"That explains the red alert." said his partner. "I'm sure the patrol will find them before they get here."  
  
"Hold it." said the first guard. "You hear that?"  
  
"Sounds like engines." said his partner. "Brace yourself."  
  
Hack and Slash raced towards the main gate in their vehicles.  
  
"Slash, main gate dead ahead." said Hack.  
  
"See it." said Slash. "Lock and load."  
  
----------  
  
AN:Sorry to leave you hanging like that, but I just realized that if I kept going on like that, I wouldn't have anything for the next chapter. Don't worry. That will be here soon.  
I thought it was about time to profile the Foxes' "gruesome twosome". Namely, Hack and Slash.  
  
Hack

Real name:Daniel Hurt

Allegiance:The Foxes

Position:Cat Burglar

Birthplace:Minneapolis

Mask:Gecko (allows him to climb shear surfaces or grab objects from a distance)

Vehicle Code Name:Doberman (Ford Mustang Mach 1/tower tank)

Bio:Hack comes from a long line of sneak thieves, pickpockets, and cat burglars. While following in the family trade, he made the mistake of breaking into a building owned by Malcolm Darwood. He was quickly captured by Darwood's security and given a unique offer: join the Foxes or be mysteriously killed. The offer was a no-brainer.  
  
Slash

Real name:Craig Hudson

Allegiance:The Foxes

Position:Strongarm

Birthplace:St. Louis

Mask:Surge (fires a burst of electricity)

Vehicle Code Name:Ram (Isuzu VEHICross/attack plane)

Bio:One of the conditions Hack put out for joining the Foxes was the enlistment of someone he had worked with before: a strongarm robber named Craig Hudson. What Slash lacks in brains, he makes up for in muscle. (He makes up a lot, but he has a lot to make up for.) The two have been nearly inseparable in battle.  
  
Thank you for reading. We shall continue.


	8. The Taking of George Island

MASK 2:The Next Generation  
  
---------------------------

The Taking of George Island

---------------------------  
  
AN:Okay, here's where I was going before I realized I was rambling. Here, we're going to see if the Foxes can pull off their raid on George Island.  
One note to Mindforge veterans: the character Sven Ericsen was not based on or named after the Hitman, despite having the same nationality and a similar last name.  
Well, here we go.  
  
----------  
  
Skull tried to catch his breath after Crossbones drove the Beluga into the river. "Well, the waterproofing seems to be holding." he said nervously.  
  
"Hold on a second." said Crossbones. "Where's that switch? Here goes." He pushed the transformation switch.  
  
The Beluga's rear split into three sections. The top half elevated, revealing torpedo launchers and a gantry crane. The lower half split into two more sections, each with a waterjet and a laser weapon. The front wheels rotated up to become directional propellers.  
  
"Now, where is this place?" asked Crossbones.  
  
"Okay, keep going upstream." said Skull.  
  
----------  
  
Hack and Slash raced towards the main gate at high speed. Knowing that the Ram could rip through the gate better than the Doberman, Hack let Slash go first. The two guards fired on the approaching vehicles.  
  
"They're not slowing down!" said one guard.  
  
"Take cover!" said the other.  
  
The guards ran to the sides of the road. The Ram tore through the main gate a second later. The Doberman followed.  
  
One of the guards grabbed his radio and said "We've got two vehicles in the base. A red Mustang and a silver Isuzu. They just took out the main gate."  
  
"Copy, gate. Over." responded someone on the other end.  
  
The Ram and Doberman came under weapons fire from guard towers, machine gun nests, vehicles, and soldiers on foot.  
  
"It's getting a little too hot in here!" said Slash.  
  
"I know!" said Hack. "Time to show off our party favors." He tagged the transformation button on the Doberman's control panel.  
  
The Mustang's body rose as the wheels lowered. The rear section rose with the front end connected by way of a pair of rails. The front end retracted to the rear and revealed a pair of cannons. A missile rack was revealed on the front.  
  
"Gotcha!" said Slash as he hit the Ram's transformation switch.  
  
The Isuzu's rear section split open to become wings. Jet engines and a vertical stabilizer elevated into position. The front section split open to become horizontal stabilers and revealed a pair of guns. As soon as the wheels rotated under the Ram's bottom, it took off.  
  
The base's guards fired upon the two vehicles some more.  
  
----------  
  
"I was afraid of this." said Gates as he looked out the window at the raging battle.  
  
"It's Darwood, isn't it?" asked Julie.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid it is." said Gates, confirming his daughter's worst fears.  
  
----------  
  
Gates was so focused on the battle, he failed to notice the Beluga surfacing in the river right below him, just as Skull had planned.  
  
The Beluga changed back into a plumber's van and drove up to the front of Gates' house. Skull and Crossbones exitted the vehicle.  
  
"Skull, you were right." said Crossbones as he looked out at the battle. "Everyone's so focused on Hack and Slash, they're not even noticing us."  
  
"Was there any doubt?" asked Skull as he walked over to Gates' front door.  
  
Crossbones joined him and noticed the eletronic keypad next to the door. "I believe this is your department." he said.  
  
"I gotcha." said Skull as he put on his mask and plugged in the control cable. He reached his right hand towards the door and said "Hacker, on!"  
  
A red beam shone on the keypad. Skull saw a grid overlapping his hand. He moved to push a few switches on the "grid" until a chime was heard. The keypad's display showed the message "Access Granted".  
  
"There, we're in." said Skull.  
  
"Let's go." said Crossbones as he donned his mask and plugged in the cables.  
  
Inside the house, and alarm sounded. Gates looked at the security monitor in shock.  
  
"Someone is in the house!" he yelled.  
  
"What? How?" replied Julie.  
  
"I don't know." said Gates. "We have to prepare for them."  
  
----------  
  
"This house isn't too big." said Crossbones. "It shouldn't be too hard to find them."  
  
"If my suspicions are right, we'll find them in the office upstairs." said Skull.  
  
The two started for the stairs. After they reached the top, they found the office.  
  
"I'll go first." said Crossbones. He jumped and kicked the door in.  
  
Inside, Julie and Gates had their weapons drawn. Julie quickly aimed towards Crossbones, but Crossbones got in a shot first. He held his hands close together and called "Chi, on!"  
  
A yellow ball of energy formed between his hands. He threw it at Julie and knocked her onto the couch. Her gun went flying.  
  
"Julie!" called Gates. In his shock, he failed to notice Crossbones jumping towards him. In a second, Crossbones had knocked Gates' gun out of his hand. Another second, Crossbones had Gates' arm in a hold.  
  
Gates struggled to get up. "One false move and your daughter gets it!" ordered Skull. Gates looked over to see Skull was ready to inflict serious harm on Julie.  
  
"Okay, I give." said Gates. "What do you want?"  
  
"Call off your dogs." said Skull as he pointed out to the battle at the base.  
  
"Okay, okay." said Gates. "Just don't hurt my daughter." He pushed a button on the intercom.  
  
----------  
  
Hack found himself surrounded by guards. Slash was still dodging anti-aircraft fire.  
  
"Surrender now and we'll make this painless." said one guard.  
  
"What?" said the guard captain over his radio. "Okay, it's your orders."  
  
"What's wrong?" asked a guard.  
  
"Surrender to the invaders." said the captain. "They've got Gates' daughter."  
  
"What?" asked the guard.  
  
"Surrender!" repeated the captain. "That's an order!"  
  
The troops lowered their weapons and mumbled epithets against Hack.  
  
"Ha! You got off easy!" said Hack. He acted tough at that moment, but inside he was sighing with relief.  
  
"We rule!" said Slash as he started to land the Ram.  
  
----------  
  
"I hope you're happy!" growled Gates.  
  
"Better watch that tone." said Skull. "Don't want an accident, do you?"  
  
"Skull! His cel phone's in use!" said Crossbones.  
  
Skull walked over to the phone and saw that Crossbones was right. He quickly turned it off.  
  
"Who'd he call?" asked Crossbones.  
  
----------  
  
The next morning in Los Angeles, Jeremy Sanchez woke up and went into his kitchen to make breakfast. He noticed he had a message on his answering machine. He checked it.  
  
"Jeremy, this is Gates." came the message. "I'm in my George Island house with Julie. Darwood's men are attacking and I fear we're about to be kidnapped or worse. If you get this message..."  
  
Gates was cut off by the door being kicked in by Crossbones.  
  
----------  
  
Within a couple of hours, Jeremy had the MASK team gathered at the new MASK headquarters in the Santa Monica mountains. He was replaying the message for them. The last thing they heard was Skull walking over to turn off the phone.  
  
"That was from Gates." said Jeremy. "From the looks of it, Darwood has invaded George Island and taken Gates and his daughter captive. From what I can tell, he is most likely searching for something in the military base Gates was watching over."  
  
"What kind of base is this?" asked Michael.  
  
"It's a disposal yard for unusable weapons prototypes." said Jeremy. "That's where the military dismantles and melts down prototypes for weapons that are obsolete, impractical, or declared illegal by the Geneva Convention."  
  
"Do we have any intel on the facility?" asked Max.  
  
"Sorry, no." said Jeremy. "The facility is so top secret, most people have never even heard of it. There are no files on it, including floorplans, photos, or maps."  
  
"There goes MY particular talent." said Liam.  
  
"How are doing this?" asked Chris.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't recognize the voices on the tape." said Caitlin.  
  
"It's obvious the Foxes have some new personel." said Jeremy. "I think it's a good time to inform you that the new vehicles are ready."  
  
"Yes!" said Laura as she made a fist and pulled it down.  
  
"What about bringing in some of the other try-outs for alternates?" asked Wei.  
  
"Yeah, how'd the request go?" asked Rocky.  
  
"Not well, I'm afraid." said Jeremy. "My superiors asked me to justify bringing in some of the other candidates. I was able to get one operative for this mission. He'll be here shortly."  
  
"He's here now." said Scooter as he looked out the window. He saw a young blond-haired man walking up the steps.  
  
A second later, the man opened the door. "I was given this address and told to report here." he said in a Scandinavian accent. "Are you Jeremy Sanchez?"  
  
"This is the place." said Jeremy. "Welcome aboard. Guys, meet Sven Ericsen, our spy photographer."  
  
"Nice to meet ya." said Kenny.  
  
"Glad you could join us." said Enzo.  
  
"So, what's the big emergency?" asked Sven.  
  
"You'll be briefed on the way." said Jeremy. "Come on, it's time to leave."  
  
----------  
  
A few minutes later, the agents reported to the hangar. The agents' vehicles, the Warhorse, Ferret, Lightning, Skyhawk, Bear, and Mammoth were parked off to one side while two large similarly-designed transport planes were in the middle of the room.  
  
"I like this one." said Max of the blue and white plane. "It matches my jumpsuit."  
  
"I'm glad you like it." said Jeremy. "That's the plane we're taking to George Island."  
  
"I can see why." said Enzo. "Looks like it was designed for a water landing with this hull."  
  
"George Island has a dedicated radar net." said Michael. "It would be impossible to enter their airspace without someone finding out."  
  
"So, we land offshore and plan our infiltration then." said Caitlin.  
  
"Sounds reasonable." said Max. "But if the radar net on George Island is so impenatrable, how are we gonna get in there? I don't think I can keep Whisper going that long."  
  
"It's no problem." said Jeremy. "Enzo's driving in there with Scooter."  
  
"I think now would be a good time to show off our new vehicles." said Enzo.  
  
"I agree." said Jeremy as he pulled out a remote and pushed a button. "Take a look." he added as a door opened, revealing five more vehicles.  
  
"The yellow one is yours, Enzo." said Jeremy as he pointed out a yellow Fiat Coupe. The grill had been painted white and the front clip was painted to resemble the face of a barracuda. The spoiler was designed to resemble a dolphin's fluke. "It's called the Marlin." said Jeremy.  
  
"I hope this one's mine." said Michael as he looked over a white '71 Dodge Challenger. The car sported a red, orange, and yellow flame job and very mean-looking mag wheels. The car's hood had a hole for the supercharger to extend through and the exhausts ran down the sides.  
  
"I thought you'd like it." said Jeremy. "Her vehicle code name is Wolverine."  
  
"This must be mine." said Laura as she looked at an ambulance based off a Dodge Sprinter van. Not surprisingly, it was white with red stripes running down the sides, had a raised roof with red lights, medical symbols on the rear and side windows, and the hood was adorned with the word "ECNALUBMA" in reversed letters. Under the side stripes were the words "Transcon Medivac".  
  
"It's called the Dove." said Jeremy. "Like it?"  
  
"It should get the job done." said Laura.  
  
"If the plate on this one is any indication, it's mine." said Chris as he leaned against a blue Ford F-150. The truck had off-road wheels and tires, a rugged brush guard, and tribal graphics on the sides. The license plates were for Texas and read "BANZAI".  
  
"It's yours, Chris." said Jeremy. "We call it the Roc."  
  
"So, who's left?" asked Wei as he looked at the last vehicle, an orange Mack Ultraliner with a box trailer. The trailer was painted with a mural of a grassland, complete with buffalo.  
  
"That's Kenny's vehicle, the Behemoth." said Jeremy.  
  
"Nice!" said Kenny.  
  
"Wait, that's only five vehicles." said Liam. "There were six agents who didn't have rides."  
  
"That's right." said Caitlin. "Who's left out?"  
  
"Scooter." said Rocky.  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it." said Scooter. "I'd rather have my hands on a keyboard than a steering wheel anyday."  
  
"Where's Sven?" asked Chris. "Ain't he comin'?"  
  
"I'm here." said Sven as he stepped off the elevator. He had changed into his combat outfit, a light blue jumpsuit with yellow stripes. "I wonder if this jumpsuit was modelled after my home country's flag."  
  
"We'll be ready to leave as soon as the pilot gets here." said Jeremy. "Here he comes now."  
  
A young man walked in and said "I'm Capt. Jeffries. I'm supposed to be your pilot."  
  
"You're just in time." said Jeremy. "We're ready to depart. We're taking the blue and white plane. We've already performed the walk-around."  
  
"Okay, saddle up." said Jeffries.  
  
The cargo ramp at the back of the plane lowered, then the agents drove on. Jeremy was first in the Skyhawk. Next to him was Enzo in the Marlin. Rocky was next on the Warhorse with Caitlin next to him in the Lightning. Michael followed him in the Wolverine alongside Liam in the Ferret. Behind them were Max in the Bear and Laura in the Dove. Behind Max were Chris in the Roc and Wei in the Mammoth in single file. Kenny pulled in the appropriately named Behemoth behind Laura.  
  
The hatch closed and Capt. Jeffries started the engines. Within minutes, the plane was in the air.  
  
----------  
  
Not long after that, Skull and Crossbones had returned to the base with Gates and his daughter. Hack and Slash were joining them in a mini-victory party.  
  
"Let me go." warned Julie. "I mean it."  
  
"If you don't shut that trap of yours..." warned Slash as he made a fist.  
  
"Lay one hand on her and you're no longer safe here." ordered Gates.  
  
"When Darwood gets here, we'll see how brave she is." said Crossbones. He was secretly worried about a sudden shift in power and getting overwhelmed by the base's soldiers.  
  
"Here he comes now." said Hack.  
  
The Firefox flew towards the base. It changed back into an Acura NSX and landed on the runway. It drove up to Gates, his daughter, and the Foxes and stopped. The driver climbed out and removed his mask.  
  
Gates glared at the driver and growled "Darwood."  
  
"Ah, Agent Gates." said Darwood. "You look well. Have you been working out?"  
  
"What are you doing here?" demanded Gates. "Why have you invaded this base and taken me and my daughter hostage?"  
  
"Those reasons will be revealed shortly." said Darwood. "My agents will be arriving as well. I decided to come now to personally assess the situation. I've also come to personally transport an old friend of mine to the island and introduce him to the battle against MASK. I believe your daughter is familiar with him, Agent Gates."  
  
Just then, the passenger door on the Firefox opened and another man climbed out. Gates' jaw dropped in shock.  
  
Julie fell back in stark terror. "You!" she screamed.  
  
----------  
  
AN:Okay, this time I'm leaving off for dramatic purposes, not to prevent myself from rambling. I think I gave enough information in the first few chapters so you can probably guess why Julie Gates is so afraid of Darwood's friend.  
I was looking through the profiles of the first six chapters and I realized that I forgot to put in Rocky's profile. I'll rectify that right now. As a bonus, I'll give you Michael's profile as well.  
  
Rocky Jackson

Allegiance:MASK 2

Position:Weapons Expert

Birthplace:Topeka

Mask:Safety (projects a beam that shuts down weapon systems)

Vehicle Code Name:Warhorse (custom Harley-Davidson/gunnery platform)

Bio:Rocky (allegedly his real name) served with the army in the first Gulf War. When he came back, he joined a biker gang and took off on the American highways. They rode together for over a decade until they encountered one of the Foxes. A gun battle ensued and Rocky was the only survivor. He now works with MASK out of revenge.  
  
Michael Rainwolf

Allegiance:MASK 2

Position:Scientist

Cover Job:research scientist

Birthplace:Tulsa Mask:Heat (projects a heat ray)

Vehicle Code Name:Wolverine (Dodge Challenger/tower tank)

Bio:Michael is a research scientist who was given a proposal to join MASK, told he'd be working with science he'd never seen before. He was skeptical at first, but accepted anyway. When he saw vehicles that transformed and masks with seemingly magical properties, he was stunned. He decided to continue his work to further research this oddity.  
  
Thank you for reading. We shall continue.


	9. Marcus Gilford

MASK 2:The Next Generation

--------------   
Marcus Gilford   
--------------

AN:Welcome back. You're probably wondering who Darwood's friend was and why he had Julie Gates so scared. Well, I can tell you one thing before we start: the chapter is named after him.   
I also have to warn you that it's going to get a little dark about halfway through the chapter. Also, I wrote in a joke told by Liam to his teammates. I thought it was rather funny and I'd like to know what you thought of it.   
Here we go.

----------

"You have some nerve bringing him here!" yelled Gates. "You knew Julie would be here and you knew how she'd react!"

"What can I say?" said Darwood. "I'm sadistic."

"Marcus Gilford." gasped Julie. "Not him."

"Well, if it isn't FBI agent Julie Gates." said Marcus. "Last time I saw you, it was through a sniper scope."

"Don't remind her." growled Gates.

He was too late. Julie remembered the last time Marcus faced her.

----------

Three years earlier...

Marcus situated himself in an office overlooking FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He calmly assembled his sniper rifle and waited for his target to appear. After a few minutes, she did.

Julie Gates walked towards the building talking with one of her fellow agents, Jeremy Sanchez. They were discussing her case. She was assisting in the investigation of businessman Malcolm Darwood. Darwood had been doing business with several associates of Miles Mayhem, the recently deceased former leader of VENOM.

"What did this Mayhem do?" asked Jeremy.

"He led a group of subversives working for an organization called 'Contraworld'." said Julie. "They conducted hundreds of daring heists between 1985 and 1997."

"Julie!" called a man with brownish-blonde hair.

"I'll fill you in later." said Julie. She turned to face the man as Jeremy entered the building.

"What's going on, Matt?" asked Julie.

"Bruno Sheppard is dead." said Matt. "There was a fight in prison."

"What? When did this happen?" asked Julie.

"A couple of hours ago." said Matt. "We were getting some information on the wherabouts of Gorey and Malloy when he got into another fight with another inmate. Unfortunately, this one had made a knife out of a spoon."

"Did you get anything?" asked Julie.

"Have you ever heard of a company called Vampire Computer Systems?" asked Matt.

"I have." said Julie. "I noticed the name coming up frequently in Darwood's phone records. What about them?"

"Sheppard was talking with them quite frequently as well." said Matt. "We theorize that VCS consists of Gorey and Malloy since Malloy's vehicle was called Vampire."

"Vampire Computer Systems." said Julie. "And I thought they named it because it was, you know, edgy. I'll look into it some more."

"Thanks." said Matt. "We've also got some information about a Weller Robotics. Sheppard was talking with one of their representatives quite frequently as well."

Matt turned and walked away and Julie walked towards the building again. Before she got there, she thought about Matt's information. She remembered that Weller Robotics was owned by Darwood Industries. She turned to Matt and said "Matt!"

That's when it happened. Marcus pulled the trigger while aiming for Julie's heart. However, in the split second he was pulling the trigger, she was turning to talk to Matt. The bullet hit her in the arm.

----------

Her next memory was waking up in the hospital, her father and Matt by her side.

"She's coming around." said Gates.

"Julie, are you alright?" asked Matt.

"I think so." said Julie. "What happened?"

"You were shot." said Matt. "A sniper was trying to kill you, but he hit your arm instead."

"Who?" asked Julie.

"We found the rifle used." said Gates. "We checked the prints and it came back as Marcus Gilford."

"We discovered he went to college with Malcolm Darwood." said Matt.

"Have you arrested him?" asked Julie.

"Unfortunately, we can't." said Gates. "He's fled the country."

"I'm afraid we have only circumstantial evidence connecting him with Darwood." said Matt. "That's a dead end as well."

"So, that's it?" asked Julie. "There's no more leads?"

"Relax." said Gates. "We'll find something. I promise. I will not stop until we can prove Darwood's involvement."

----------

And back to the present...

"You tried to kill me." said Julie.

"And I could have succeeded." said Marcus. "I could've taken out Trakker as well if my stupid gun hadn't jammed."

"Great addition to your team." said Gates. "The only professional assassin in the world who's too stupid to take care of his weapons."

"What was that?" yelled Marcus as he lunged towards Gates.

"Don't hurt him!" yelled Julie.

"Listen to her." said Darwood. "I want him alive and aware. My plans for revenge demand it. Skull, come with me."

"Why?" asked Skull.

"I need you to help me find something." said Darwood. "Come on."

The two men entered the main storage building. They walked past several military units with signs listing them as "Illegal", "Obsolete", or "Unusable".

"What are we looking for?" asked Skull.

"None of these." said Darwood.

"Need help?" asked Crossbones as he entered.

"What are you doing in here?" asked Skull.

"I thought there might be more defenses in here." said Crossbones. "Also, I didn't want to be around those troops if Gates suddenly said 'boo'."

"There's probably a directory around here." said Skull. "That will tell us where it is."

"Over here." said Darwood. Skull activated the computer.

"I don't get it." said Crossbones. "Why are all of these 'illegal' weapons here? Why were they made in the first place?"

"You don't want to know the answer to that." said Skull. "What am I looking for, Darwood?"

"You're looking for something called the 'Mind's Pencil'." said Darwood.

"What's that?" asked Crossbones.

"I don't know yet." said Skull as he went to work. "Don't know what to make of the name."

Shortly, a file came up on the computer.

"Here it is." said Skull. "Wow, it must be dangerous. It's on the fast track to disposal."

"Is it still intact?" asked Darwood.

"Looks like it." said Skull. "What the...?"

"What is it?" asked Crossbones.

"I just saw the nature of the weapon." said Skull.

"What is it?" asked Crossbones.

"Mind control." gasped Skull.

----------

The MASK team was on their way in the transport. Jeremy was up front checking with the flight crew.

"We should be nearing George Island within a couple of hours." said Jeffries.

"Thanks." said Jeremy.

"You have a name for this plane?" asked Jeffries.

"I was thinking of calling it Bluebird." said Jeremy. "I think the other will be called Blue Jay."

"That's not gonna get confusing." joked Jeffries.

Jeremy laughed and went back to the agents.

"After that, I said 'What wires?'" said Enzo.

The other agents laughed.

"What's up?" asked Jeremy.

"We're trading jokes to pass time." said Michael, still laughing over Enzo's last one.

"Needless to say, Enzo's getting in a lot." said Wei.

"Anyone else have one?" asked Jeremy.

"I do." said Liam. "Let me tell ye the tale of Agents Johnson and Murphy."

"Let him tell it." said Max. "It's a good one."

"Okay." said Liam. "Here it goes. One day, the director of the CIA called Agent Johnson, his best spy hunter, into his office."

----------

Liam's joke...

"You wanted to see me, sir?" asked Johnson.

"Yes, Agent Johnson." said the director. "Agent Murphy went missing in Ireland after a mission gone wrong. He has most likely gone to his safe house in a small Irish village. We want you to bring him home."

"When I find Murphy, how will I know him?" asked Johnson.

The director told him "If you think you've found Agent Murphy, tell him 'The weather report calls for mist in the morning.' If it's him, he'll respond with 'Aye, but also mist in the afternoon.'"

----------

"After that, Johnson left for Ireland." said Liam. "However, he quickly ran out of leads. He went to a local pub for information."

----------

Johnson went up to the bartender "I'm looking for a man named Murphy."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific than that." said the bartender. "There's lots of folks in this town named Murphy. There's Murphy the Baker, our local pastry chef. Also, there's Murphy the Banker who handles all our financial needs. There's also Murphy the Blacksmith, our local iron worker.

Johnson's face dropped. "That's a lot of Murphys." he said.

"Aye." said the bartender "Why, me own name happens to be Murphy."

Upon hearing this, Johnson's ears perked up. He thought "Is this the man I've been looking for? Has my search come to an end?" He then looked the bartender right in the eyes and said "The weather report calls for mist in the morning."

----------

"When he heard this, the bartender was shocked." said Liam. "His jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and then he said...'Oh, you want Murphy the SPY! He lives just up the street.'"

Several of the agents laughed. Michael grinned. Enzo almost fell out of his seat. Kenny barely broke his expression, but he was obviously amused.

Jeremy laughed too, then said "Okay, I'd hate to break up the fun, but we have to lay out our game plan."

"Okay, go ahead." said Max.

"As I said earlier, George Island has a thick radar net that Darwood is no doubt using now." said Jeremy. "We have to shut it down if we're going to get the plane in to release the vehicles."

"As I asked earlier, how are we going to get past the radar net?" asked Max.

"The radar net, as you're no doubt aware, does not extend beneath the surface of the ocean." said Jeremy. "There's a harbor on the northwest point that creates too much radar interferance to detect anything. That's where you come up."

"How do we get in there?" asked Scooter.

"Enzo, you've been trained with the Marlin." said Jeremy. "Why don't you explain?"

"The Marlin's alternate form is a submarine." said Enzo. "We'll use it to swim into the harbor completely undetected."

"Only one problem." said Scooter. "If the harbor is such a weak link, won't Darwood have increased security there?"

"Very likely." said Jeremy. "He probably has the base guards working for him by force. That's why you're going to have to get out of there as quickly as possible. I'm sorry. There's just no other way."

"Could get really hot in there, eh?" said Enzo.

----------

"We found it." said Skull as he continued working on the computer. "The Mind's Pencil."

"I'm a little afraid of what that thing can do." said Crossbones. "Should we have the capability of rewriting our enemies' minds?"

"I agree." said Skull. "But Darwood's made up his mind to control those of others. Hey, what's this?"

"What do you see?" asked Crossbones.

"A little history." said Skull. "I can't believe Darwood missed this."

"Is it still here?" asked Crossbones.

"Yes." said Skull. "Wanna go look for it?"

"Might as well." said Crossbones. "Got nothing better to do."

----------

The Bluebird landed in the ocean just off George Island. The engines shut down and the ventral hatch opened.

In the hold, Enzo and Scooter climbed into the Marlin. "Scared?" asked Enzo.

"You have no idea." said Scooter.

"No, I think I do." said Enzo.

A gantry crane maneuvered over the Marlin and lowered its magnet to the Marlin's roof.

"Okay, after this, you're on your way to the harbor." said Jeremy. "After that, you're on your own. Good luck."

The magnet lifted up the Marlin and carried it over to the hatch. Enzo gave Jeffries a thumbs-up and the Marlin was lowered into the sea.

Underwater, the Marlin's rear fenders extended to reveal four waterjet engines. The rear hatch flipped to reveal vertical stabilizers and a laser cannon. The front wheels rotated up to become directional propellers. The hood slid forward to reveal a torpedo bank and a gripper claw.

"Okay, let's find that harbor." said Scooter. "Let's get this over with."

Enzo cruised through the ocean and found the harbor.

"We can probably get onto the island using that slope." said Enzo.

Enzo pulled onto the slope and converted the Marlin back into a car. He and Scooter then climbed out.

"What's wrong?" asked Enzo.

"There should be guards swarming all over us." said Scooter. "Where are they?"

"I say let's get out of here before you get your answer." said Enzo. "Come on."

----------

Where were the guards? Darwood had them recalled to the base. The "Mind's Pencil" had been recovered. The Foxbat was landing.

"Why have you recalled all of the island's guards to the base?" asked Gates.

"You'll see." said Darwood.

The other Foxes got off the plane. "It WAS still here." said Frankenstein. "Is it ready?"

"It's ready." said Darwood. "Please, have a seat and watch me use it."

"What does this thing do again?" asked Gearbox.

"It's a mind control ray." said Darwood. "VENOM used a variant on a small American town in an effort to steal a superlaser. This is the more powerful original. Skull should have finished rigging up the control broadcast tower by now." Darwood took out his communicator and activated it. "Skull, is the broadcast tower for the control signal ready?" he asked.

"It done ." said Skull between bursts of static.

"Skull, where are you?" asked Darwood. "I'm getting some static."

"I a coup levels do." said Skull. "I'm look for someth."

"You're looking for something? It had better be a vital organ!" yelled Darwood. "Now, get up here and make sure that broadcast tower is working properly!"

"Alright!" yelled Skull into his communicator. He put it away and said to Crossbones "What a grouch!"

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Darwood "I'm sure you're wondering what's going on here. The thing is I have acquired one of the weapons that was supposed to be disposed of at this facility. Those of you in the clerical department probably know it as being in the 'Experimental/Other' category. Because of your manager's emotions, I now have it and am about to use it. I at least give you the comfort, and at the same time the displeasure, that you will not be killed by this weapon. Skull, is it ready?"

"All set." said Skull as he entered the control room.

"Good." said Darwood. "Foxes, put on your masks."

Any Foxes who didn't have their masks on put on their masks.

"So, that's your plan." said Gates. "You're going to use the Mind's Pencil to take control of the minds of everyone on this base and make them your zombie slaves. What will you do with them afterward?"

"Why, use them to destroy MASK, of course." said Darwood. "By the way, thank you for calling Sanchez. We'll be waiting for him."

"What makes you think he'll come?" asked Gates.

"He'll come." said Darwood. "I know his type. One last thing: you'll notice that the business end of the Pencil is pointing away from you. With you are some of the base's personel. We couldn't let this base fall apart because esssential personel were rendered...well, mindless."

"I see that." said Gates. "I've also noticed that you've put Julie and myself in the safe zone. I assume that's to make us witness the horror you plan to unleash."

"Well, there's just one more thing." said Darwood. "Slash, put Gates' daughter in her place."

Slash grabbed Julie and dragged her over to the base personel.

"No! Stop!" she cried.

"Let her go!" yelled Gates.

"You are in a position unsuitable to give orders!" said Darwood.

Slash held on to Julie as he reached the base personel.

"You'll be fine, Slash." said Darwood as he walked over to the controls. "I don't think the Mind's Pencil can hit that small of a target."

Darwood flipped a few switches and the Pencil powered up. He flipped a few more and some more systems came online. Darwood gave a last smug look to the crowd, then pushed the largest button.

An energy wave swept through the crowd. Everybody's gaze became quite vacant. Grips relaxed and people dropped what they were holding.

Blades ducked behind the Rabbit and stared in shock.

After about half a minute, Darwood shut the Pencil down and looked out at his new army.

"Just perfect." he said.

Gates dropped to his knees in shock, dismay, and incredible self-hatred. "What have I done?" he asked.

----------

On the northern beach, the MASK agents unloaded their vehicles. Rocky rode up to Jeremy on the Warhorse.

"I just did a head count." he said. "All agents and vehicles accounted for."

"Excellent." said Jeremy. "Prepare to move out."

Rocky pulled away and Jeremy walked over to the Behemoth to check on Scooter.

"Scooter, how long should that radar bypass hold?" he asked.

"A few hours at best." said Scooter. "It was a little tougher than a civilian airfield's radar, but I got it."

"Good to know." said Jeremy.

"Jeremy, I just picked up some kind of energy wave!" said Scooter.

"Are any of us at risk?" asked Jeremy.

"No, it doesn't appear to be strong enough." said Scooter. "I think we're out of range."

"Stay on it." said Jeremy. "Something's odd here."

"You got it." said Scooter.

Jeremy walked away and said "Captain Jeffries, Chris, Liam, come here for a second."

Jeffries, Chris, and Liam walked over.

"Jeffries, the radar net will be back up in a few hours." said Jeremy. "I think it would be best if you made yourself scarce."

"I understand." said Jeffries. "Call me if you need me."

"I will." said Jeremy. "On a similar note, Chris and Liam, your vehicles are capable of flight, so you won't be allowed to take off without permission. Understood?"

"Understood." said Liam.

"I gotcha." said Chris.

"Then we're all set." said Jeremy.

----------

AN:And so, the retaking of George Island begins.   
For this chapter's profiles, I thought I'd turn the spotlight on Chris and Kenny.

Chris Bush

Allegiance:MASK 2

Position:Martial Artist/Explosives Expert

Cover Job:Demolition Man

Birthplace:Dallas Mask:Breaker (destabilizes a small object's molecular structure, making it highly explosive)

Vehicle Code Name:Roc (Ford F-150/jet bomber)

Bio:In college, Chris was dating a girl who meant the world to him. However, she left to join the space program just before he was about to propose. Heartbroken, he threw himself into his martial arts practice (Shotokan Karate) and explosives research. He is also a huge fan of "Buckaroo Banzai" and usually quotes the film at opportune moments.

Kenny Harrison

Allegiance:MASK 2

Position:Survivalist

Cover Job:Forest Ranger

Birthplace:Calgary

Mask:Noah (allows Kenny to issue orders to animals)

Vehicle Code Name:Behemoth (Mack Ultraliner & box trailer/heavy battle tank and mobile base)

Bio:Kenny was raised in one of the more rural areas of Canada. His parents taught him to respect nature and learn from it. As a result, Kenny grew up (a lot) to be a steadfast environmentalist and avid animal lover. At six feet and six inches in height and a very muscular 300 pounds, he is easily the largest of the new MASK agents.

There is more to come.


	10. Making Ourselves At Home

MASK 2:The Next Generation

------------------------  
Making Ourselves At Home  
------------------------

AN:I know. I updated two weeks ago. Well, the thing is I promised myself I'd have this done by the end of the year. I've got two chapters after this and only one month, so I decided to get cracking. However, I decided to take my time and try to make this as good as possible. After all, it wouldn't do good to rush the work and have the end result be garbage. I've seen rushed works and they weren't good.  
Well, here we go.

----------

A couple of hours after MASK 2 had landed on George Island...

"Okay, recap." said Jeremy. "Scooter's checking to find out the source of that energy wave."

"Check." said Rocky.

"Max and Sven are on a reconaissance mission." said Jeremy.

"Check." said Rocky.

"Everyone else is preparing to move out on a moment's notice." said Jeremy.

"Check." said Rocky.

"I guess we're good then." said Jeremy.

----------

Out on an access road, Max drove along in the Bear while looking for possible dangers with Sven.

"I think that overlooking cliff could be used as a lookout." said Max.

"I'll keep that in mind." said Sven.

"Hey, you want to talk?" asked Max. "It should break up the monotony and help us to get to know each other."

"Talk about what?" asked Sven.

"Anything you like, your call." said Max.

"Well, I was testing out my mask earlier." said Sven. "It has a thermal imager and I noticed something."

"What's that?" asked Max.

"I noticed your body temperature tends to increase slightly when ever Laura enters the room." said Sven. "Either she reminds you of a test you didn't study for or..."

"Knock it off, wiseguy!" snapped Max.

"Does she know you care for her?" asked Sven.

"No." said Max. "No, I haven't told her yet."

"I think you'd better." said Sven. "Trust me."

"When I get the chance." said Max.

----------

At the disposal facility, Gearbox laughed as he looked at one of the zombified soldiers and threw punches at the man's face, stopping just short of hitting him.

----------

Deep underground, Skull and Crossbones led Darwood into the storage room they were inat the timeDarwood activated the Mind's Pencil.

"What were you looking for?" asked Darwood. "It had better be important."

"It is." said Skull. "If the directory was correct, it should be...WHOA!"

The three men stared at a giant dark green off-road transport.

"It didn't look that big in the directory." said Skull.

"That thing is huge." said Crossbones. "What is it?"

"It's the XM-130 Juggernaut." said Skull. "It was originally designed back in 1984 as part of a squad of seemingly ordinary vehicles that transformed into combat machines."

"The original MASK team." said Darwood.

"And VENOM by extention." said Crossbones.

"It was rejected from the MASK program because it was too large and required too much manpower to operate." said Skull. "However, the too much manpower problem can be solved with Frankenstein's help."

"And the too large problem is not a problem for my purposes." said Darwood. "Get this thing ready. We might be able to use it. Now if you don't mind, Frankenstein wanted me to see something."

----------

Max parked the Bear on a bend in the road with a good view of the disposal facility.

"How close are we?" asked Sven as he climbed out of the bear.

"A mile." said Max as he did the same. "That's as close as Jeremy wanted us to get."

"Want me to take some pictures?" asked Sven.

"Why do you think I brought you out here?" asked Max. "Go right ahead."

Sven and Max donned their masks. "I'll see if the viewfinder works at this distance." said Sven. "What about you?"

"I've got these." said Max as he took out a pair of binoculars. He started to scan the area for anything worth noting. "Hey, Sven. Check out the runway."

"What's going on?" asked Sven.

"Looks like a race." said Max.

----------

On the runway, Flash was racing along in the Rocket while a silver Porsche Boxster was keeping pace with her. She took a turn onto the taxiway and let the car's tail end drift out. The Porsche followed her, performing the same drift.

"So, this is what you wanted to show me." said Darwood as he walked over to Frankenstein, who was watching the race.

"Flash is doing her usual best, but her opponent isn't too bad." said Frankenstein.

Flash raced across the designated finish line and parked. The Porsche parked next to her.

"Nice work, Flash." said Darwood. "But your competition wasn't too shabby either."

Darwood walked over and looked at Flash's opponent: one of Dr. Frankenstein's Wasps.

"I take it the Wasp Mark 2 and Deviator were a success, then?" asked Frankenstein.

"Indeed." said Darwood. "Bring whatever you have left off the plane."

----------

"Get a shot of that." said Max.

"I'll use the techno-scan function." said Sven as he retracted his right middle finger. "Freezeframe, fire!"

His visor flashed yellow for an instant. He saw the image of the Deviator complete with a full technological scan and mapping of its transformation scheme.

"What's next?" asked Sven.

"Let's see what's going on in the commandant's house." said Max as he redirected the binoculars towards Gates' house on the overlooking hill.

----------

Inside the house...

"Nice place you got here." said Blades.

"I'm only letting you stay here so nothing bad happens to...to..." said Gates. He was unable to finish his sentence because of his emotional stress.

"We're not your roommates, pal." said Rocks. "Think of us as your babysitters."

"Do you really need to be here?" asked Gates. "You've already disconnected my phone and cut me off from the rest of the world."

"Sorry, but..." said Blades. "Actually, I'm not sorry. I like being in this position of power."

"Enjoy it while it lasts." said Gates. He had a hint of foul temper in his voice.

----------

"I can't make out squat from here." said Max. "How about you?"

"No problem." said Sven as he retracted his right index finger. "Freezeframe, fire!"

The visor on his mask flashed yellow for a second. He was presented with a thermal image of the house. The heat signatures of Gates, Blades, and Rocks were clearly defined against the heat signatures of the house itself.

"There are three people in there." said Sven as Max redirected his binoculars. "Gender, race, I couldn't tell you unless I got closer." He noticed Max looking towards the base. "What's up?"

"Take a look at those soldiers." said Max. "I think we might need a shot of that."

----------

Hack and Slash looked over the mind controlled troops. "Got ourselves a little army." said Hack.

"I'm coming up with some things I'd like to try." said Slash. "You know, things I'd do if I had a private army."

"Let me know when you're finished with your list." said Hack.

"Hey, Hack." said Slash. "I've got an idea. Maybe we should mount the Mind's Pencil to one of our vehicles and when MASK comes, zappo!"

"Problem solved permanently." said Hack. "I like it."

"Hey, Gearbox!" called Slash. "Where are you keeping the Monster?"

----------

"They didn't move a muscle...literally!" said Max.

"Want a shot of that?" asked Sven.

"Knock yourself out." said Max.

Sven retracted his ring finger and pinkie and called "Freezeframe, fire!"

His visor flashed yellow for a second and he was shown an image of the soldiers, complete with a medical scan.

"Any more?" asked Sven.

"Nah." said Max. "J also wanted us to scout out a location for a base camp."

"I think I know a good place." said Sven. "Come on, I'll show you."

Little did they know, they were being watched themselves. Gilford was looking at them through the scope on his rifle. "Flash, can you give me a ride?" he asked.

----------

Sometime later, Max and Sven found an area that could be used for a base camp.

"Let's go report this to Jeremy." said Max. "This place is perfect."

"I see what you mean." said Sven. "It's secluded, easy to defend, not far from the disposal facility."

"You got it." said Max.

----------

The Rocket drove down a nearby access road slowly.

"What are we looking for?" asked Flash.

"I know I saw someone I didn't recognize." said Marcus. "Probably one of Sanchez's spies scouting out the facility. Now, where did he go?"

Just then, the Bear raced out of a side road and headed back to the others.

"Follow him." said Marcus. "But don't get too close."

"I know. I've done tails before." said Flash.

----------

Scooter groaned. "I just can't get past the password for the faclity's computer system." he said.

"There's a lot of high technology at the facility, useful or otherwise." said Jeremy. "It shouldn't be a surprise that the computer systems are heavily protected as well."

"Sorry, I'm just used to cracking the system easily." said Scooter. "This is a little beyond my abilities."

"How could Darwood access the facility's computer systems?" asked Jeremy. "You know, if he had to."

"He's got many a method." said Scooter. "He could force one of the base personel to access it for him. He could have Frankenstein or one of his robots work on it. He might have something else up his sleeve."

"Hold on, Max and Sven just got back." said Jeremy as he climbed out of the Behemoth.

Max and Sven got out of the Bear. "I'm going to show my pictures to Jeremy." said Sven. "Are you going to talk to Laura?"

"Yeah, if I can find her." said Max.

"How did it go?" asked Jeremy.

"Come on, I'll show you." said Sven.

No one noticed the Rocket parking just down the road.

"Looks like the entire team is here." said Flash.

"Malcolm was right." said Marcus. "Sanchez did come. I wish I knew where his scout went when we lost him."

"Maybe you should call Darwood." said Flash.

"I will." said Marcus as he picked up the radio.

----------

"Look alive, people." said Darwood. "I just received a radio call from Marcus. He's found a MASK battalion and we need to stomp them out. Hack and Slash, take your new wheels and take them down. Gearbox, you're going with them. Dr. Frankenstein, you ride with Gearbox in the Monster. Take a squadron of Deviators with you."

"But I've only completed six of them!" said Frankenstein.

"Then bring three." said Darwood. "Oh, one last thing. Bring this to Marcus." he added as he handed a box to Gearbox.

----------

Sven entered the Behemoth. "I think you'll see some things Darwood doesn't want you to see." hesaid.

"Okay, show us." said Jeremy.

"Freezeframe, on!" called Sven. The technical scan image of the Deviator was projected onto the wall.

"Looks like Darwood's got a new toy." said Scooter.

"And it's up to us to break it." said Jeremy.

"Looks more like he's got two new toys." said Rocky. "Why does the technical scan include the driver?"

"Must be one of Frankenstein's androids." said Scooter.

"Next picture, Sven." said Jeremy.

Sven quickly moved his thumb. The thermal image of the commandant's house came up. "This is where Gates was staying." said Sven.

"Who're the blobs?" asked Scooter.

"I have no idea." said Sven. "I couldn't get a positive I.D."

"The house has no relevance to the base." said Jeremy. "There's nothing you can do there that can't be done in the base itself. If they're using it as a lookout, they'd only need one agent there. My guess is one of those blobs is Gates and the other two are Foxes guarding him."

"We can try to see if your theory is correct later." said Sven as he moved his thumb again. "This one, there's something wrong, but I can't figure it out." The medical scan image of the soldiers was seen.

"I can't see it either." said Jeremy. "But I can't figure out how Darwood is controling these troops."

"How is a normal person supposed to look on this thing?" asked Rocky.

"I don't know." said Sven. "I've never used this function before. Maybe we should get a shot of a normal person as reference."

"I think we should get Laura as well." said Scooter. "This is her department."

"Sven, get Laura." said Jeremy. "Get a shot of her as well. Kill two birds with one stone."

----------

Laura was in the Dove checking on her medical supplies. The sliding door opened and Max leaned in.

"There you are!" he said. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"How hard were you looking?" asked Laura. "I was in here the whole time."

"Good point." said Max.

"Are you okay?" asked Laura. "Do you need a doctor?"

"No, I'm fine." said Max. "I guess. Laura, there's something I need to tell you. You see, I..."

"Freezeframe, fire!" called Sven. Max and Laura turned to see him with his ring finger and pinky retracted.

"Sven!" yelled Max.

"Sorry to interupt the moment, but Jeremy needs you, Laura." said Sven.

"Okay." said Laura as she got up. "We'll finish this later. Okay, Max?"

"Take your time." said Max. "I could use the breather."

----------

Laura and Sven joined Jeremy, Scooter, and Rocky in the Behemoth.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Sven, show us that picture again." said Jeremy.

"Got it." said Sven. "Freezeframe, on!"

The medical scan image of the soldiers came up again.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be seeing." said Laura.

"I'll bring up the shot of her and Max." said Sven. He moved his thumb a couple of times and brought up the medical scan of Max and Laura.

"This appears to be normal." said Laura. "But why is Max's heart rate so high?"

"Come on, do the math!" whispered Sven.

"Wait! Go back!" said Laura. Sven moved his thumb a few times and brought back the image of the soldiers.

"I see it now!" said Laura. "Something's wrong with their heads. But what is it? I've never seen anything like this."

"I think we might need reshoots." said Jeremy.

"You got it." said Sven. "I might need to get closer, though."

"If you gotta." said Rocky.

Laura climbed out of the Behemoth and walked back to the Dove.

"Now, this is the spot Max suggested for our base camp." said Sven.

----------

Marcus and Flash were leaning against the Rocket when the Doberman, Ram, Monster, three Deviators, and four Rats pulled up.

"No base personel?" asked Marcus.

"None of them have the mental capacity to operate a vehicle." said Gearbox.

"Can this group take out all of them?" asked Marcus as he pointed out the MASK force.

"No sweat." said Slash.

"By the way, I got a present for ya!" said Gearbox as he tossed the box to Marcus.

Marcus caught the box, opened it, and pulled out a mask. There was a note attached. Marcus took it out and read it. "Marcus, you can't be a part of the Foxes without a mask. While wearing this, call 'Shockwave, fire!' for a pleasant surprise. Malcolm." He put on the mask.

----------

"Chris, what's that?" asked Kenny as he saw the top of the Monster through the tops of the trees.

"I dunno." said Chris. "I think we should investigate."

While they went to investigate, Laura got back into the Dove.

"Max, what were you saying?" asked Laura.

"Oh, yeah." said Max. "As I was saying..."

"It's right up there." said Kenny as he pointed to the trees.

"I see it." said Chris. "It's..." He cut himself off with a gasp.

"Shockwave, fire!" called Marcus. A blue fireball fired from his mask towards Chris and Kenny.

"Incoming!" yelled Kenny. He and Chris ran for cover. Liam was walking over to see what the fuss was about, but he too ran for cover.

The fireball hit the ground and sent the three men flying. Liam landed on his shoulder not far from the Ferret. Chris quickly rolled into a somersault and sprung back to his feet. Kenny was thrown into the side of the Behemoth.

Jeremy, Scooter, and Rocky jumped out of the Behemoth. "What was that?" asked Jeremy.

"The Foxes!" yelled Kenny as he tried to get up. "They found us!"

"Everybody saddle up!" yelled Jeremy. "We've got barbarians at the gate!"

Laura gasped and ran out of the Dove. Max grumbled at his luck.

"Everybody to your vehicles!" yelled Jeremy. "We gotta move!"

"I don't think I can drive!" yelled Kenny. "I think my wrist is broken!"

Laura put on her mask and plugged in the cable. She grabbed Kenny's injured and called "Doctor, on!"

Her glove glowed with white energy. Kenny flexed his fingers and said "Thanks!"

"Sven, you're in the Mammoth." said Jeremy. "Scooter, you're in the Behemoth."

Within seconds, all agents had gotten into their respective vehicles and started them. They had managed to get moving within a minute.

Scooter checked his watch and said "Wow, we make good time."

Marcus watched them leave and said "Don't just stand there! After them!"

----------

The MASK vehicles raced along the road.

"I think it would be a pretty bad idea to lead them to our base camp." said Caitlin from behind the wheel of the Lightning.

"Good point." said Jeremy. "Everybody head to the alternate location. And put your masks on. We might need them."

"Got it!" said Liam as he rubbed his shoulder. He and his teammates hit their mask buttons and put on their masks.

"Can you see where they're going?" asked Gearbox.

"Yes." said Frankenstein. "I'll try to send the Wasps after them." He worked a few switches on the control console.

Enzo, who was bringing up the rear, looked in his rearview mirror. He saw two Deviators and two Rats. "Jeremy, we've got company!" he said.

The Rats and Deviators caught up quickly and started intermingling with the MASK vehicles. A Deviator pulled alongside the Mammoth and Wei got a look at the driver.

"The Porsches are being driven by Wasp droids." he reported.

"I'll handle this." said Rocky as he pulled off to the side and stopped. He watched his teammates drive by him until he saw the Mammoth. Then, he gave chase.

Rocky pulled alongside the Deviator and pulled out his shotgun. "Kiss it goodbye!" he said, then fired.

The shot hit the android in the head, decapitating it. However, the Deviator did something completely unexpected. It exploded.

The explosion threw Rocky off balance and he had to slow down to correct himself. He almost dropped his shotgun.

Chris was following behind the Deviator when it exploded and when the dust cleared, the explosion had left a huge crater. Chris had no chance of avoiding it and drove right into it. The Roc flew ten feet before hitting the road again. Chris let out a squeal of excitement.

"Jeremy, the Wasps are rigged to blow!" yelled Wei into his communicator. "Repeat, the Wasps are rigged to blow!"

"I copy!" yelled Jeremy. "Guys, the Wasps' Achilles' Heel no longer applies!"

"So, now what?" asked Scooter.

"Watch!" said Kenny. "Guys, I'm going to try something! Hit your brakes after that next turn!"

Jeremy looked at the next turn which went around a hill and out of his view. "I think you should listen to him." he said.

The agents drove around the turn. Kenny was the last of the first half and pulled his emergency brake as he rounded the turn. The trailer swung around until it blocked the road. Inside, Scooter held on for dear life.

"Kenny, what was that?" he yelled.

"Just laying a trap." said Kenny.

"Okay, but if you jacknife, I'm gonna kill you!" said Scooter.

The Bear, Dove, and other Deviator rounded the turn. Max and Laura hit their brakes. The Wasp wasn't as lucky and went under the Behemoth's trailer, shearing the windshield off and the android's head and shoulder as well.

Kenny started moving again and Max and Laura drove around him. Enzo, Michael, and Liam caught up and joined them.

The Rats extended their guns and started attacking Chris and Rocky. "I'm going into battle mode!" said Chris.

"I read you!" said Jeremy.

Chris pushed the transformation button on his dashboard. The front bumper lowered to reveal a chain gun. A plane's tail boom flipped out of the bed just before the side walls flipped up and a pair of jet engines extended into position.

Chris stomped on the brakes and let the Rats pass him. He then got back on the accelerator and got one of them in his sights. "Sayanora." he said. He pulled the trigger and shredded the Rat along with the Wasp that was riding it.

"Nice shootin', Tex." said Wei.

"Thanks, pardner." said Chris.

Just then, the Rocket pulled in front of them and parked. Marcus climbed out and watched the MASK vehicles drive around him. Then he saw a target: the Bear.

"Scratch one MASK." he said. "Shockwave, fire!"

A blue fireball fired from his mask and hit the side of the Bear, knocking it over. Max tried to correct, but the Bear started to fall over regardless.

"I'm doomed." muttered Max. Suddenly, he stopped falling over and looked to see what had happened. Michael had pulled up next to him and placed the Wolverine under the falling Bear.

"Mikey!" yelled Max. "Boy, I'm glad to see you."

"Turn towards me and you'll be back on your wheels." said Michael.

Max did as Michael told him and the Bear landed on its wheels.

"Now, let's get that guy." said Michael.

Max tapped the Bear's transformation button a few times. "Michael, I can't transform the Bear!" he said. "That shot must've taken out my transformation control computer!"

"Looks like I do this solo, then." said Michael as he hit his transformation button.

The Wolverine's front and rear ends folded down and tank treads extended from the bottoms. The roof split lengthwise and opened inward. The seats extended outward to become gun turrets. Missile banks extended from the doors.

"Sweet!" yelled Max.

"Bruce said it was the next evolution of an earlier design." said Michael as he turned his turret towards the Rocket. Flash jumped out when she saw where Michael was aiming. He opened fire on the car and shot out the front tire, headlight, and part of the controls.

"Let's go!" he said. He and Max joined the chase again.

Gilford looked over the shot-up Rocket and asked "Can you get this thing going again?"

"Looks like it." said Flash as she looked over the damage. "I'll have to go into battle mode, though. Although, I was probably going to do that anyway."

Frankenstein looked at his computer in complete dismay. "My Wasps are getting pasted." he groaned.

"Oh, gee. Isn't that just too bad?" said Gearbox.

"Wait, why didn't that one self destruct?" asked Frankenstein when he discovered the Deviator that had gone under the Behemoth's trailer.

"Maybe it forgot." joked Gearbox.

"Its operating system is still functioning." said Frankenstein. "It's alive! It's heavily damaged, but it's still working!"

----------

The MASK team reached a clearing with a pond next to it.

"This looks like a good place to stand our ground." said Jeremy. "Everybody stop and fight here. Liam, Chris, you now have permission to take off."

"About bloody time." said Liam as he hit his transformation button.

The Ferret's rear hatch split lengthwise and slid to the sides. A tail boom and a pair of rotor blades extended into place. The rear doors rotated up to reveal a rocket launcher and a winch. The side skirts lowered to become landing skids. Laser cannons extended from the headlights. The car turned helicopter then took off.

"Initiating phase two." said Chris as he hit his second transformation button. The Roc parked, a pair of wings folded out of the sides, and the jet engines roared to life. A pair of launch rails elevated into position and the plane took off.

Jeremy was next. He hit his transformation button and the Skyhawk went into battle mode.

Laura parked next to the pond and hit the Dove's transformation button. The roof section elevated and split into a missile bank and a gun turret. The wheels lowered into stabilizers. The side wall opened backwards to reveal the medical bay.

Rocky rolled to a stop on the Warhorse and hit the transformation button. The front forks raised into guns. The sides split and lowered revealing tank treads.

"Think that was cool?" said Kenny. "How about this?" He pushed the transformation button. The truck's grill lowered, revealing a pair of guns. The top of the cab folded down revealing a radar dish. The rear wheels rotated to reveal guns attached. Panels on the sides and top of the trailer rotated to reveal gun turrets and a command pod.

Wei was next to transform his vehicle. The sides of the tanker extendedoutward revealing laser cannons. The front wheels rotated up to reveal tank treads. The hood elevated to reveal a pair of guns on the front and a radar dish.

Then the Foxes showed up with the surviving Rats and Deviator.

"Time to party!" said Hack as he transformed the Doberman. Slash followed suit with the Ram. Flash flew in with the transformed Rocket.

Gearbox then transformed the Monster. Its forward section split down the middle and opened to reveal a small turret/cockpit with two guns. The rear section elevated and a radar dish swung up. However, the cannons had been replaced by the Mind's Pencil.

"Looks like they rearmed themselves." said Caitlin as she transformed the Lightning.

"Guess we should take some extra precautions, eh?" said Kenny.

"Stand by for docking." said Wei as he threw the Mammoth into reverse. He backed the rig up until it interlocked with the Behemoth's trailer.

Wei then separated the Mammoth's cab from its tanker and the tanker opened up to reveal a command center, a pair of vehicle bays, and a missile launcher.

Kenny detached the Behemoth's trailer which opened up itself to reveal its own command center, vehicle bays, and missile launchers. The Behemoth's tractor lowered its sleeper cab, raising the radar dish and revealing its own missile bank.

"All that firepower." said Gearbox. "And it's all about to amount to zilch. Can you get that thing going?"

"Working on it now." said Frankenstein as he started powering up the Mind's Pencil.

Just then, Marcus noticed the Monster's change of weaponry and was shocked. "What the..?" he said. "I don't think Malcolm's gonna like this." He activated his communicator.

"Marcus, what's going on?" asked Darwood.

"Did you tell Gearbox he could mount the Mind's Pencil on the Monster?" asked Marcus.

"No, but that sounds like a good idea." said Darwood. "That way, we can use it on someone away from the base."

"Apparently, Gearbox thought the same thing." said Marcus. "He's using it on MASK!"

"What?" asked Darwood. "Put him on!"

"I'm trying, but he's not answering his communicator." said Flash.

"I'm going to need someone to man the extra guns." said Scooter.

Just after he said that, the Bear and Marlin pulled up and Max and Enzo climbed out.

"The Bear's transformation is shot." said Max as he jumped into one of the gun turrets.

"The Marlin is useless on land." said Enzo as he jumped in the other.

They started firing on the Foxes. The Ram performed a strafing run, but missed anything worth hitting. As Slash was angling for a return pass, the Ram was hit by a missile.

"What the..?" he asked. "Who did that?"

"Ha! Score one for the Bostonian." said Laura as she watched the aftermath of her missile shot. The Ram had lost an engine.

Caitlin made a strafing run of her own on the Deviator. After her pass, the Deviator separated. The front fenders and hood became a flying drone. The front bumper and wheels became a miniature tank. The passenger compartment became a jet glider. The rear fenders and rear deck became another flying drone and the rear bumper and wheels became another tank.

"Heads up!" said Caitlin. "The Porsche has separated into WHOA!" She swerved to avoid colliding with another drone. "Apparently, they can clone themselves as well!"

"Wait, look at the damage on that thing." said Chris.

"It must have come from the one that went under the trailer." said Kenny.

Chris and Caitlin started shooting the drones out of the air. "Not much of a problem." said Caitlin.

Just then, the computer in the Monster went off. "The Pencil is ready!" called Frankenstein.

"Hit it!" yelled Gearbox. Frankenstein hit the firing button for the Pencil and started broadcasting the mind-altering beam at the MASK agents.

"Is something supposed to be happening?" asked Max.

"I dunno." said Enzo. "I've never seen one of those in use before."

"Jeremy, this energy wave is the same frequency as the one I picked up just after we landed." said Scooter.

"What is it used for?" asked Jeremy.

"I won't know until I can properly analyze it." said Scooter. "Until then, I think we should shut it down."

Finally, Darwood managed to establish communications with Gearbox. "Gearbox, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Check it out!" said Gearbox. "I'm putting the MASK team under our spell!"

"Great plan, except for one thing." said Darwood. "The Pencil cannot penetrate masks!"

Gearbox's face dropped when he realized he wasn't doing anything. "That would've been good to know beforehand." he said.

"Torque, on!" called Enzo.

A blue beam was broadcast from his mask. It hit the barrel of the Pencil and twisted it around. A second later, the barrel broke off of the Pencil in a shower of sparks and tumbled to the ground.

"Go to plan B?" asked Frankenstein.

"What plan B?" asked Gearbox. "We gotta get outta here! Hack, you're deatmeat when we get back!"

"Both of us are when Darwood gets us." said Hack, very scared.

"Gearbox called a retreat." said Flash.

"I've got a plan to keep MASK busy." said Marcus. "Shockwave, fire!"

A blue fireball shot from his mask and flew straight towards the Dove. It hit the Dove and knocked it into the pond.

"Laura!" yelled Max as he jumped out of the gun turret. He ran over to the pond.

His teammates parked and landed their vehicles and joined him. They saw the Dove sinking fast. Max ripped off his mask and boots and dove into the pond.

"Max!" yelled Liam.

"We need to do something!" yelled Michael.

Max swam into the sinking Dove and found Laura panicking. He helped her get her mask off and found she was still concious. He took one of the Dove's oxygen tanks and placed the oxygen mask over Laura's face. After pushing the water out, Laura took a couple of deep breaths. Max took the oxygen mask next and took a couple of breaths himself. Then, he pulled her out of the Dove and swam for the surface.

They both surfaced to the cheers of their teammates. Laura was still panicking, so Max helped her to the shore.

"Laura, are you alright?" said Caitlin.

"I...I think so." said Laura.

Jeremy ran over and looked at her. "Laura, I think you should rest up a little." he said. "I also think you should thank Max for saving your life."

"Thank you." gasped Laura. "Thank you."

"Okay, guys." said Jeremy. "As soon as we're ready to move out, we're going to the real base camp. Max rides in the Bear, Sven drives. Laura rides in the Behemoth and we're towing the Dove. Be on guard. The Foxes aren't going to leave us alone right now. Oh, and Max, nice save."

Scooter walked back to the Behemoth's trailer. Wei joined him. "So, what do you think of Kenny's driving?"

"Wei, I take back every bad thing I ever said about your driving." said Scooter. "Kenny's a thousand times worse."

Sven helped Max into the Bear. "I didn't get chance to talk to Laura." said Max. "Think I should try again soon?"

"Max, you were first in before anyone suggested anything." said Sven. "You said a mouthful!"

----------

AN:I don't like to compare my works to others, but I think this was definitely one of the best things I've written. In case you're wondering, the Wolverine's transformation was based off that of the Razorback and modified.  
We're four chapters into the second half of the fic and I still haven't profiled Darwood's new guys. Sorry about that. I'll fix that now.

Skull

Real Name:Leonard Norris

Allegiance:The Foxes

Position:Strategist

Birthplace:Buffalo

Mask:Hacker (allows him to bypass computer security systems)

Vehicle Code Name:Juggernaut (off-road transport/mobile base)

Bio:Leonard was tops in his class at Yale, but found few job opportunities when he graduated. He eventually went into managing underground street fighters. He took part in a criminal deal with future Fox Calvin "Gearbox" Lucas and was left with one client, Dennis Paulsen, when it went wrong. Gearbox later came to recruit him for the Foxes and he accepted after some convincing.

Crossbones

Real Name:Dennis Paulsen

Allegiance:The Foxes

Position:Martial Artist

Birthplace:Las Vegas

Mask:Chi (generates energy projectiles which can be thrown)

Vehicle Code Name:Beluga (Chevy Express plumber's van/assault sub)

Bio:Dennis is trained in four styles of kung fu, a feat which got him accepted into the World Styles Confederation, a martial arts organization specializing in mulitple styles. He left the WSC after a controversial loss in a competition. He has since turned to underground fighting, but has been involved with at least one criminal act. After some urging, he joined the Foxes.

There's a couple more chapters to come and I promise there will be a surprise in the next one.


	11. You!

MASK 2:The Next Generation

----  
You!  
----

AN:The year is almost over and I'm afraid I might not make my deadline, but we'll see.  
Well, enjoy.

Hack, Slash, Gearbox, and Dr. Frankenstein stood before Darwood scared out of their minds. They had good reason too, since they had used the Mind's Pencil without Darwood's approval or knowledge and the weapon had been destroyed as a result.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill the four of you." said Darwood.

"Because it wouldn't be nice?" asked Slash.

"Not a good answer." said Darwood. "First off, whose idea was it to use the Mind's Pencil on MASK?"

"Slash." said Gearbox.

"I should've known." said Darwood. "Why did you try to use the Mind's Pencil against MASK?"

"I thought it would help to solve the problem with MASK permanently." said Slash. "I thought it would be something you'd do or be proud of."

"If you had come to me with your plan, I would have explained why it wouldn't have worked!" said Darwood. "Why do you think I told your teammates to put on their masks before I activated the Pencil?"

"Uh..." said Slash.

"Never mind." said Darwood. "Slash, as punishment, you and Hack will be working directly under Marcus."

Hack and Slash both groaned.

"What's more," continued Darwood "Gearbox and Dr. Frankenstein, you both had the opportunity and authority to prevent this mistake, yet you did nothing. I have a special punishment for you. Skull, Crossbones!"

"Yeah?" asked Crossbones.

"What's your progress on the Juggernaut?" asked Darwood.

"I estimate about sixty percent or so." said Skull.

"How long have you two been working?" asked Darwood.

"About four hours." said Crossbones.

"Good, you two can now take guard duty at the commandant's house." said Darwood. "Gearbox and Dr. Frankenstein can finish your work."

"The plans are on the dashboard." said Skull as he walked towards the Beluga.

----------

The MASK team drove into their base camp not far away. The Dove was carried in with the Ferret's winch.

The Behemoth's trailer and Mammoth's tanker were combined into the fort again. Liam set down the Dove.

Laura looked out of the Behemoth's window at the Dove, what was almost her watery tomb.

Soon after the team had set up, Jeremy called a meeting with Rocky and Scooter. "Okay, what have we learned so far?" he asked.

"Darwood's got some kind of control over the troops at the base." said Scooter.

"Also, Darwood's got some new agents and weapons." said Rocky.

"On top of that, he had that ray gun which we're looking into." said Scooter as he looked over at the barrel of the Mind's Pencil being delivered on the back of the Roc.

"And they're holding Gates and his daughter hostage." said Rocky.

"Other than the fact that Max has the hots for Laura, that's it." said Scooter.

"Okay, give me a few minutes." said Jeremy. "I have to come up with a game plan."

"I gotcha." said Rocky as Max walked over to the Behemoth.

"Laura?" said Max.

"Max, what are you doing here?" asked Laura.

"I just came to see if you were alright." said Max. "You gave us quite a scare."

"I wasn't expecting that guy to do that." said Laura. "Thanks for saving my life."

"Think you're still up to some action?" asked Max.

"I just need some time to clear my head and rest." said Laura. "I think I'll be fine."

Not far away, Chris practiced his karate. After a series of spin kicks, he bowed to his imaginary opponent.

"What did the air do to get you so mad?" asked Kenny as he walked over.

"Just doing my katas." said Chris. "I do it to relax."

"Laura's fine." said Kenny.

"It's not that." said Chris. "It's something else."

"Yeah?" asked Kenny.

"Remember those voices on the answering machine tape?" asked Chris. "I swear there was something familiar about them."

"How long have you felt this way about me?" asked Laura.

"A while, I guess." said Max. "I think it was since we were both chosen for the team."

"I'm not interupting anything important, am I?" asked Jeremy.

"Depends on your definition." said Max.

"I've gathered my thoughts." said Jeremy. "I need you for the next mission."

Within minutes, Max, Sven, Chris, and Kenny had gathered.

"So, what does your mask do?" asked Chris.

"It takes pictures." said Sven. "It takes special pictures. This is a control glove. If I retract my index finger, I take a thermal picture. If I retract my middle finger, I take a picture that analyzes technological systems. If I retract my ring finger and pinkie, I take a picture that analyzes a person's medical condition."

"What happens if you retract your thumb?" asked Kenny.

"Then you'd better let me drive." said Sven.

Jeremy walked over. "Okay, here's the plan." he said. "My theory is that the Foxes are holding someone hostage at the commandant's house. I'd like to see if it's Gates before we attempt a rescue."

"Freezeframe wouldn't be able to do that." said Sven.

"I'm not asking you to." said Jeremy. "I'll use my Hawk mask to get that information. If it's Gates or his daughter, Chris and Kenny will assist me in their rescue. Sven, I asked you for reshoots on those soldiers. Max will take you in, the rest is up to you."

"I'm going to need to borrow a vehicle." said Max. "Enzo's still fixing the Bear."

"Hey, Liam!" called Jeremy. "Your cousin needs your car."

"Okay, be sure to return it in one piece." said Liam.

"Ah, you know me." said Max.

"What's everybody else up to?" asked Kenny.

"Let me think." said Jeremy. "Enzo is repairing the Dove and the Bear. Scooter and Michael are trying to determine what that thing Darwood was using is. Laura is still recuperating. Liam, Rocky, Caitlin, and Wei are standing guard."

"Are we going?" asked Chris.

"Yeah, let's go." said Jeremy.

----------

As the Skyhawk, Roc, and Ferret pulled out, Scooter and Michael went over the barrel of the Mind's Pencil.

"How did the computer hacking go?" asked Michael.

"Not well." said Scooter. "I still can't get through the firewalls and passwords."

"YOU can't?" asked Michael. "That's odd."

"I'll say." said Scooter. "Any idea what this thing is?"

"It's some kind of sonic ray projector." said Michael. "It didn't damage our vehicles, so the frequency wasn't right for that."

"I know this thing was used when we landed on the island." said Scooter. "I picked up the ray on my computer."

"We'll know soon enough." said Michael.

----------

A few minutes later, the Skyhawk and Roc pulled up to the base of the hill the commandant's house sat on. Jeremy, Chris, and Kenny climbed out of their vehicles with their masks on.

"Okay, at the top of this hill sits the house Gates was living in." said Jeremy. "Our current theory says that Gates or his daughter is being held hostage there."

"Sven picked up three distinct people." said Chris. "My guess is one is Gates or his daughter since Darwood wouldn't risk leaving one agent to guard them both."

"Yeah, he'd be easily overpowered." said Kenny.

"I'm about to see if my theory is correct." said Jeremy as he reached out his hand. "White Hawk, on!"

A white energy mass shaped like a hawk flew out of Jeremy's mask visor. He guided it up the side of the hill and towards the house. He flew the mass around the house and directed it towards the windows. He saw Skull and Crossbones in the living room and Gates in an upstairs bedroom. He then flew the mass back down the side of the hill and dissipated it.

"It's Gates." said Jeremy. "He's in an upstairs room. There are two goons standing guard. I think the best way up would be to take that hiking trail up the side of the hill. After that, we'll find some way into the house."

"Twenty feet straight up." said Kenny. "No problem."

----------

Meanwhile, Max and Sven showed up at the base and climbed out of the Ferret.

"Think there's anything else we can shoot?" asked Sven.

"I think so." said Max. "Probably some new troop movements."

"Yeah, I can definitely get some better shots from here." said Sven.

"Looks like they're working on something in that hangar." said Max as he looked at the Juggernaut.

Sven zoomed in on the Juggernaut, retracted his middle finger, and called "Freezeframe, on!"

His visor flashed yellow for an instant and he was presented with a technical scan of the Juggernaut.

"The troops." said Max. "That's what we came here for. Get a shot of them."

Sven looked at the mind-controlled troops, retracted his ring finger and pinkie, and called "Freezeframe, on!"

His visor flashed yellow for an instant and he was shown a medical scan of the troops. This time, he was able to do a more thorough scan.

Max then saw Marcus. He remembered it was him who almost killed Laura with his mask. "Sven, get a shot of that slimeball." he hissed.

Sven looked at Marcus and called "Freezeframe, on!"

His mask visor flashed yellow for an instant and he was given a shot of Marcus. Unfortunately, Marcus saw his visor flash.

"Hack, Slash, come with me." he ordered.

----------

Jeremy, Chris, and Kenny reached the top of the trail. "The house is just across this garden." said Jeremy. "Uh oh, didn't notice that camera."

"No problem." said Kenny. "Watch the birdie." He pointed to a bright red parrot and called "Noah, on!"

A series of green energy rings were projected from Kenny's mask towards the parrot. "Fly to the camera." he said. The parrot flew over to the camera and hovered directly in front of the lens.

"Great, we've got bird trouble." said Skull as he saw the parrot and nothing else on the security camera. "I'm going out to shoo the bird."

"What's the point?" asked Crossbones. "No one's tried anything yet. What are the odds someone is now?"

Skull stepped out and walked over to the parrot and waved it off. "Get outta here!" he yelled. "Stupid bird."

Chris jumped out of hiding and elbowed Skull in the back. Kenny grabbed him and dragged him into the house.

"Where's your friend?" asked Jeremy.

"I think he went upstairs to check on the prisoner." said Skull.

"Skull, what's going on?" asked Crossbones from upstairs. He managed to get a good view of the agents and his captured partner. Then, he saw the back of Chris' jacket. "You!" he yelled.

"Oh no." groaned Chris.

Crossbones vaulted off the second floor landing and landed on the couch. "You have some nerve showing up here!" he yelled.

"How do you even know it's me?" asked Chris.

"The logo on your jacket gave you up!" said Crossbones.

Chris looked over his shoulder. "Oops." he said.

"I've got a score to settle with you." said Crossbones.

"Bring it on." said Chris.

Crossbones walked towards Chris, performed an elbow thrust, a hand sweep, a palm strike, a forward kick, then an uppercut. He directed Chris towards him with his hand.

Chris gave a forward punch, a karate chop, an overhead strike, a roundhouse kick, and finally an X-block while walking towards Crossbones.

The two stared at each other for a second, then Crossbones threw a punch at Chris. Chris quickly blocked it and countered with a spin kick. Crossbones ducked the kick and jumped back up with a kick of his own.

"Yeah!" yelled Skull. "Wipe the floor with him!"

"This is gonna get messy!" said Kenny.

"Not if I find Gates." said Jeremy.

Jeremy ran to the stairs. Crossbones jumped away from Chris and did a spin kick to knock a vase in Chris' direction. Chris jumped, split his legs, and caught the vase as it passed between his legs.

Chris held the vase in his right hand as he landed and called "Breaker, on!" A wave of red energy flowed from his glove to the vase. He tossed it towards Crossbones.

Crossbones held up his hands and called "Chi, on!" A yellow ball of energy formed in his hands. The vase hit the energy ball, destroying both.

Upstairs, Jeremy looked around. "Now, if I were Gates, where would they hide me?" he asked. "Of course, the locked room."

He ran to the door with the lock on it and kicked it in. He entered the room and looked around for Gates. He probably should've looked over his shoulder. Gates was standing over him with a lamp. He swung the lamp towards Jeremy just as he noticed him.

"Gates! Wait!" yelled Jeremy.

Gates caught himself just in time. "Jeremy!" he said. "You came!"

"Chris is downstairs fighting with one of your guards!" said Jeremy. "We need to stop them from killing each other! You still have your retirement present?"

"It's in the bedroom." said Gates. "Come on!"

Jeremy and Gates ran to the bedroom next door. Gates went straight for the closet and took out a box. He opened the box and took out a mask.

"I hope this works." said Gates as he put on the mask. They ran for the stairs.

Chris jumped off the couch to try to perform a flying kick. Crossbones responded with a handstand kick. Chris was knocked out of the air, but was able to land on the nearby coffee table.

"You have to act now!" said Jeremy.

"I've got a clear shot." said Gates. "Authority, on!"

A series of blue energy rings projected from his mask and enveloped Skull and Crossbones. They looked at him nervously. "Get out of here now!" he ordered.

Skull and Crossbones ran for the door and out to the driveway.

"Thank goodness that's over." said Gates.

Chris jumped off the table. "Looks like we pulled off a rescue." he said.

"And it looks like we need to talk about something." said Jeremy.

----------

"We've got another turret over here." said Max.

"And some tripwires over here." said Sven.

"Looks like we can start organizing the raid." said Max. He turned around and ran right into Slash.

"Going somewhere?" asked Slash.

Hack snuck up behind Sven. "Nah, they're staying right here." he said.

"So, Sanchez sends in his spies to learn our Achilles' Heel." said Marcus as he walked over.

Max recognized him immediately.

----------

Begin flashback...

Marcus climbed out of the Rocket and called "Shockwave, fire!"

A blue fireball fired from his mask and hit the side of the Bear, knocking it over.

"Shockwave, fire!" called Marcus.

A blue fireball shot from his mask and flew straight towards the Dove. It hit the Dove and knocked it into the pond.

...end flashback.

----------

Max glared at Marcus and said "Haven't you done enough?" asked Max.

"Apparently not." said Marcus. "You're still alive. But I can fix that."

"Not just yet." said Max. He kicked Slash in the knee and scrambled away.

Sven hit Hack in the chest with his elbow and ran after Max.

"After them!" yelled Marcus.

Max and Sven hid in the forest. "They can't chase both of us." said Max.

"Ja." said Sven. "I'll run towards the fork in the road. You go for the Ferret."

"Sounds good to me." said Max. He ran for the car. Sven took off in the other direction.

Marcus, Hack, and Slash made it to the place where they split up. "I saw one of them going that way." said Marcus. "The other one's sure to go to the road where he's most likely parked. You two go after him."

Max ran up to the road and then to the Ferret. "Alright, I'm outta here."

Just as he tried to get the door open, Slash ran up behind him and tackled him. He then pulled Max away from the car and carried him back towards the road.

"You're in big trouble when we get you back to base." said Hack.

Max squeezed out of Slash's hold and ran back towards the trees. "Don't you mean IF you get me back to base?" he asked.

"Annoying squirt!" yelled Slash as he and Hack chased Max.

Max ran towards a tree and jumped up to the trunk. He then grabbed a branch and hauled himself into the tree.

"Where'd he go?" asked Hack as he stopped under the tree.

"I dunno." said Slash.

Just then, Max swung out of the tree and hit Slash in the back. Slash was knocked into Hack and the two fell to the ground. Max then punched Slash in the back, immobilizing him. He returned to the Ferret.

Sven continued to run along towards the fork in the road. Marcus was right on his tail. Suddenly, Sven tripped over a rock and fell.

Marcus walked up to him and said "This is where it ends."

Sven rolled onto his back to face Marcus. He then retracted his thumb and called "Freezeframe, fire!"

His mask visor flashed white.

Max drove to the fork in the road in the Ferret thinking "Please be there, Sven."

He reached the fork and stopped. He waited for a minute, then Sven ran out of the trees and jumped into the passenger seat.

"You okay?" asked Max.

"Just fine." said Sven, hyperventilating.

Max drove off. Just then, Hack and Slash ran out of the trees and watched them drive off.

"Just missed them!" yelled Slash.

"And where's Gilford?" yelled Hack.

"Here he comes." said Slash. Marcus was staggering out of the woods. He bumped into a tree, then tripped over a rock, then had to drag his way up the hill.

"Gilford, are you alright?" asked Hack.

"Hack, where are you?" asked Marcus as he reached around. "That shutterbug blinded me with his flash!"

----------

"You're joking, right?" asked Scooter.

"I wish." said Michael. "Unless my figures are off, which I doubt, this is a mind control weapon."

The Skyhawk and Roc pulled up. Jeremy, Gates, Chris, and Kenny climbed out of the vehicles.

"Mr. Gates!" said Scooter.

"Ah, Scooter's here too." said Gates.

"We all are." said Jeremy.

"J, you're not going to believe this." said Scooter.

"Darwood's weapon is a mind control ray." said Michael.

"I believe you." said Jeremy. "Gates told me about it."

"The Mind's Pencil is no more." said Gates. "At least we have that going for us."

"Gates told me about it." said Jeremy. "Darwood used it on the base personel...and his daughter Julie."

"If we can find some specs on the Mind's Pencil, maybe we can find a way to defeat it." said Michael.

"I've been trying to hack into the base computer, but the security systems are killer." said Scooter.

"Even with your skills in consideration, I'm not surprised." said Gates. "For obvious reasons, the security systems are the best we could get. They require three nine-letter passwords which I had to memorize."

"Mr. Gates, could you please help Scooter through those passwords?" asked Jeremy.

"Of course." said Gates.

"Chris, we have to talk." said Jeremy.

----------

In the Behemoth's trailer base, Scooter started to hack into the base computer.

"Maybe the base personel came out of their trances when the Pencil was broken." said Scooter.

"No, if they had, we wouldn't be planning a rescue operation." said Gates.

"Alright, I'm at the first password." said Scooter.

"It's nonsense." said Gates. "They did that so it would be harder to guess. It's E-F-I-L-A-T-E-G-T."

Scooter typed in the password. "It worked." he said. "What's next?"

"U-O-S-I-H-T-D-E-R." said Gates.

Scooter typed it in. "Alright, what's the last one?" he asked.

"U-G-I-F-U-O-Y-F-I." said Gates.

"I'm in." said Scooter. "Let's see what we can find."

----------

"Chris, who was that guy?" asked Jeremy.

"His name is Dennis Paulsen." said Chris. "He's an expert in five forms of kung fu and he's a former member of the World Styles Confederation. Former because of me."

"What do you mean?" asked Jeremy.

"We were engaged in a battle in Phoenix." said Chris. "Karate versus kung fu. Dallas versus Vegas. The match began well and honorable and stayed that way for two minutes. The match ended in controversy."

"How?" asked Jeremy.

"I turned to give him a roundhouse." said Chris. "I thought he'd block it, but he managed to counter with a punch. He went down. The referee called it a fair hit, but Paulsen disagreed saying it was too high as per the rules of the match."

"What happened then?" asked Jeremy.

"He had a very verbal disagreement with the management and promptly quit the World Styles Confederation." said Chris. "I decided to resign myself out of shame. I didn't feel right causing a man to resign his position like that."

"How did he identify you?" asked Jeremy.

"With this." said Chris as he turned his back, showing Jeremy his Team Banzai logo. "I always wore it."

"Will he give you up?" asked Jeremy.

"Oh, I hope not!" groaned Chris. "The WSC had a strict honor code. I don't know if he'll still abide by it."

"This talk is adjourned." said Jeremy. "You may leave."

"If you say so." said Chris.

"Hey, Chris." said Jeremy. "Was that hit too high?"

"Hey, the fight was going so fast, even I don't know." said Chris. "After the fracas, I just wanted to forget everything."

Michael ran over and said "Jeremy? Scooter wants to see you."

----------

"I found the Mind's Pencil in the facility's database." said Scooter. "Ready for this?"

"Go ahead." said Jeremy.

"The version that VENOM used was a less sophisticated system." said Scooter. "The broadcast signal and control signal were combined. When one went, the other went with it. This one is more complicated. The weapon we recovered was the broadcast signal. Thankfully, it's unlikely Darwood was able to create a clone in such short time and the prototype was the only one in existence. However, there is a separate control signal which is controlled by computer. We have to find that computer and deactivate it to free the troops from their trances."

"Why didn't the Pencil affect us when it was used?" asked Jeremy.

"The Pencil operates on a specific frequency which is filtered out by our masks." said Scooter. "The version used by VENOM had the same weakness."

"Do we necessarily have to shut down the computer?" asked Chris. "Can't we just blow it up or let you use your mask on it?"

"Can't risk damaging the minds of the base personel." said Scooter. "It's like a computer. Carefully shutting it down is like gently drifting off to sleep. Haphazardly yanking the plug is like knocking you out with a sledgehammer."

"Sorry I brought it up." said Chris.

"There's one other thing." said Michael. "This version of the Mind's Pencil has one capability that VENOM's didn't. With a few minor adjustments, those affected can be allowed to use firearms."

"I don't think Darwood's going to pass up that advantage." said Jeremy. "Does anyone know what kind of guns they use at the facility?"

Just then, Max and Sven returned.

"They might." said Rocky.

"Jeremy!" called Max. "We're back. Aw, man. You wouldn't believe what happened to us."

"What did you get?" asked Jeremy as the other agents came over.

"I'll show you." said Sven. He walked over to the side of the Dove and said "Freezeframe, on!"

The first image projected onto the ambulance was the technical scan of the Juggernaut.

"What's that?" asked Kenny.

"I dunno, but I'd hate to face it on the battlefield." said Liam.

"I think I saw it in the database." said Scooter. "I'll check on it as soon as we finish here."

"Next picture, Sven." said Jeremy.

Sven moved his thumb and switched to the next picture, the medical scan of the soldiers.

"We have confirmation." said Laura. "This kind of brain chemistry change can only be caused by some kind of sonic ray."

"I'm willing to bet it's the same frequency as the one used by the Mind's Pencil." said Michael.

"Armalite M-16s." said Rocky. "Powerful, but not powerful enough to pierce our armor."

"Next picture, Sven." said Jeremy.

Sven moved his thumb and brought up the picture of Marcus.

"Gilford!" yelled Gates.

"Wait, MARCUS Gilford?" asked Jeremy. "The man who shot Julie?"

"That's him!" growled Gates.

"So, he IS working with Darwood." said Jeremy. "This could be a problem."

"Why's that?" asked Caitlin.

"Marcus Gilford is a deadly assassin." said Jeremy. "He's believed to be responsible for the deaths of several important witnesses in the case of Malcolm Darwood. Said victims could have confirmed any relation between Darwood and Miles Mayhem."

"If he's that dangerous," said Sven as he moved his thumb "I must've lucked out."

Marcus' close-up came up.

"You encountered him and survived?" asked Gates. "You must be luckier than I thought."

"Okay, I'm working on a plan." said Jeremy. "Enzo, I want you to continue repairing the Bear and Dove."

"Si, si." said Enzo.

"Scooter, I want you to get your laptop ready." said Jeremy. "Also, research that thing we saw in the picture."

"Got it." said Scooter.

"Max, rest up." said Jeremy. "We're going to need you to infiltrate the facility."

"No problemo." said Max.

"That's all for now." said Jeremy. "I want you all to get ready for battle."

----------

Enzo crawled under the Dove and took a wrench to the transformation control unit.

Chris walked over to the side of the Roc and practiced his karate.

Scooter worked on his computer, looking for the vehicle in the picture.

Max leaned back against the Marlin to catch his breath.

Rocky checked his weapons.

----------

Scooter ran to Jeremy's staging area to find him leaning against a railing and talking to Enzo.

"You want me to break the news to Max or will you?" asked Enzo.

"I'll tell him." said Jeremy. "You can return."

Enzo walked back to the vehicles and passed Scooter.

"What was that about?" asked Scooter.

"Enzo couldn't fix the Bear." said Jeremy. "He needs replacement parts and we didn't bring any. Luckily, the Dove is working. What do you have to report?"

"I found that thing from the picture." said Scooter. "It's called the XM-130 Juggernaut. It was originally designed to be part of the original MASK team. It was rejected for being too large and requiring too much manpower to operate."

"So,Darwood intends toput it into action." asked Jeremy.

"Of course." said Scooter. "With Dr. Frankenstein's androids, the manpower problem is solved. And its size can definitely strike fear into enemy hearts. There's one other thing about it."

"And that is?" asked Jeremy.

"Look who designed it." said Scooter. "Bruce Sato."

"He might know how to defeat this thing." said Jeremy. "I'll contact him."

"Anything else?" asked Scooter.

"No, you can go." said Jeremy.

Scooter went back to his computer. Jeremy went to the communications array. He started to contact the design team, but had a brainstorm. Instead, he called Captain Jeffries.

"Agent Sanchez?" replied Jeffries who was in the middle of lunch.

"Captain Jeffries, how quickly can you get back to George Island?" asked Jeremy.

"In a couple of hours, I guess." said Jeffries. "What's up?"

"I think I might need you for the next battle." said Jeremy.

"Uh, you are aware the Bluebird has no weapons, right?" asked Jeffries.

"Doesn't matter." said Jeremy. "I'm counting on the size of the plane to do all the talking."

"I understand." said Jeffries. "Just say when and I'll come running."

"You got it." said Jeremy. "I'll call you when I need you."

Jeremy closed the communications channel and called the design team.

A few minutes later, he told the agents "Everybody, come here now. I have a plan."

----------

AN:Okay, I think this is shaping up to be a nice finale, which should be next chapter. Thanks for staying with this.  
For this chapter's profiles, I'm giving details on MASK 2's doctors, doctor for people Laura Kennedy and doctor for cars Enzo Castaldi.

Enzo Castaldi

Allegiance:MASK 2

Position:Mechanic

Cover Job:Auto Mechanic

Birthplace:Venice

Mask:Torque (projects a twisting beam)

Vehicle Code Name:Marlin (Fiat Coupe/recon submarine)

Bio:Little is known about Enzo. What is known is that he was involved with a secret project of the Italian army which he never talks about. (Presumably, he's been sworn to secrecy.) Also, it's known that Enzo has an incredible sense of humor which tends to come out at opportune moments. Whatever the case, Enzo is still an excellent mechanic and a very good addition to the team.

Laura Kennedy

Allegiance:MASK 2

Position:Field Medic

Cover Job:Paramedic

Birthplace:Boston

Mask:Doctor (heals minor battlefield injuries)

Vehicle Code Name:Dove (Dodge Sprinter ambulance/medical unit)

Bio:Laura lost her father to a rare disease when she was sixteen. His death fueled her desire to become a doctor, which she decided to pursue on the west coast to get away from her family. During her career, she ended up saving the lives of a group of FBI agents, including Lawrence Gates. He offered her a position on the new MASK team, confident she would be chosen.

Thank you for reading. The thrilling conclusion is coming up next.


	12. The Retaking of George Island

MASK 2:The Next Generation 

-----------------------------  
The Retaking of George Island  
-----------------------------

AN:Okay, here we go. This will be the final chapter. Don't worry. I know better than to leave the story unfinished. There will be a wrap up in this chapter.  
I have to warn you. Once this chapter is finished, so is the story. I will not be taking a break, then continuing the story. This will complete it. I'm considering a sequel, but it won't be out for a while. Next year, I'll be working on another fic which will be a major undertaking.  
But, with that aside, let's get on with the story.

----------

The MASK agents gathered around for the briefing. Sven and Agent Gates were among them.

"So far, we know this." said Jeremy. "Darwood has the soldiers at the disposal facility as well as Agent Gates' daughter Julie under some kind of mind control. The mind control victims have little capibility for most tasks, but we have recently discovered they can be adjusted to use firearms, possibly M-16's. On the downside, getting past those minions is going to be a challenge, a big one. The good news is if we can counteract the mind control signal, the odds will be completely reversed. Darwood most likely realizes this as well, so he's not going to let that happen easily. That's why I'm counting on you to do your best.

"Here's my plan." he continued. "Currently, we have eleven vehicles here. The Bear has been rendered unusable in combat and the Marlin is unable to fight on land. Enzo will man the guns in the Behemoth's trailer base and Sven will operate the guns in the Mammoth's mobile base. The Bear can still be driven, so Max will use it to enter the facility while the rest of us keep the Foxes busy with the biggest doggone battle you've ever seen."

"Hey, I was in the Gulf War." said Rocky jokingly. "You'd better smile when you say that."

"Okay." laughed Jeremy. "Scooter and Agent Gates will ride along with Max. Once they make it into the facility, Max will use his stealth skills to help the other two into the computer room. Gates is more familiar with the interior, so he will be the guide. When you find the computer, Scooter will shut it down and free the troops.

"For the battle itself, there are four sides to the facility. Removing the Bear and Marlin from the battle leaves us with nine vehicles. We'll separate them into four groups. The Behemoth and Wolverine will attack from the north and the main gate. The Roc and Warhorse will attack from the west since there's more clutter on that side. There's a loading dock on the south side and the Dove and Mammoth will go in that way. The Skyhawk, Ferret, and Lightning will attack from the east because of the river, which prevents land vehicles from attacking that way.

"As you may be aware, Darwood has another new piece of equipment. It's large. It's intimidating. It's most likely well armed. However, I managed to contact the design crew. Bruce was one of the thing's designers. He says that the Behemoth can probably go toe-to-toe with it."

"Why does he say that?" asked Kenny.

"Because the Behemoth was based on a modified design of this thing." said Jeremy. "One other thing. I've called Captain Jeffries to assist with the Bluebird."

"I thought the Bluebird was unarmed?" said Chris.

"It is, but I'm counting on the same intimidation factor as Darwood's new vehicle." said Jeremy. "Back in high school, there was this other student who was very huge. Whenever there was a fight, he'd show up and the fight would end. He never threw a punch or attacked in any way. He just showed up and glared at the brawlers. He ended more fights through intimidation alone. We called him 'the Peacemaker'. I'm counting on the same principle here.

"If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd like to hear them." said Jeremy.

"I've got one." said Scooter. "Since the Mind's Pencil leaves its victims with the mental capacity of a clock radio, Darwood's sure to have left some of the base personel untouched. Now that I've hacked into the base's computer system, maybe I can contact some of them and get their assistance."

"That's not a bad idea, Scooter." said Jeremy. "You can probably make our task a thousand times easier. That is all. Get ready. This is not going to be easy."

----------

Wei climbed into the Mammoth. "Hey, Laura?" he asked. "You think you're up to this battle?"

"More than ready." she replied.

"I heard you and Jeremy talking." said Rocky. "Whatcha gonna do if you encounter that guy again?"

"I'll fight him to the best of my ability and try to see where the chips fall." said Chris.

"You okay, sir?" asked Max as he strapped into the Bear.

"I will be as soon as we release the soldiers and my daughter from their trances." said Gates.

"Good man." said Scooter.

The MASK forces moved out.

----------

"I think he just has a simple case of flash-blinding." said the doctor as he examined Marcus' eyes. "He should be fine in a couple of hours."

"You'd better not be exagerating to make him useless in combat." warned Darwood.

"I'm not! I'm not!" said the doctor. "He should be fine in two hours, tops."

"Very well." said Darwood. "Come along, we have a battle to prepare for. MASK is sure to be on the way."

The Foxes left the infirmary. A radar tech watched them leave, then walked over to the doctor. "Two hours, huh?" she asked. "How long will he really be ready?"

"Closer to six." said the doctor. "Hopefully, this MASK will arrive before then. Unfortunately, removing one gun may not be enough."

"I've seen it happen." said the radar tech. She left the infirmary and returned to the radar monitor. She turned her computer back on and found a text file.

She opened the text file. It read "My name is Scooter. This is not a dream. To respond, just write a text file."

The radar tech wrote a text file reading "I am a radar tech. Who are you?"

A few seconds later, she got her response. "I am with MASK. We are seeking to rescue you and your colleagues."

"You should rescue Agent Gates." she wrote.

"We already have. He is with us." wrote Scooter.

"What do you need me for?" wrote the radar tech.

"We need someone on the inside. We need someone to operate the computer system." wrote Scooter.

"Why can't you?" wrote the radar tech.

"I can't take control of the system. I can only upload and download files. I'm sorry." wrote Scooter.

"I'll see what I can do." wrote the radar tech.

"Thank you. I'll contact you when I get inside." wrote Scooter.

----------

At the gate to the loading dock, the Bear parked next to the Dove and Mammoth. "We've got an insider." said Scooter.

"That's good." said Max. "We could use the help."

In the woods on the west side of the base, Chris and Rocky parked their vehicles. Through the fence, they could see a hangar and the soldiers' barracks. An alleyway just wide enough for a small truck was between them.

On the other side of the river to the base's east, Jeremy, Caitlin, and Liam parked where they had the best view of the base.

Kenny and Michael drove down the road to the base. Just over a day earlier, Hack and Slash drove down the same road with the same intent.

"You guys know the plan?" asked Laura.

"Yeah, we go in a couple of minutes after you guys." said Max.

"Ready?" asked Wei.

"All set." said Scooter.

----------

Jeremy's White Hawk probe flew above the Behemoth. Just before the truck reached the northern side of the base, Jeremy dropped the probe and yelled "Now!"

Caitlin and Liam transformed their vehicles and took off. Jeremy drove further down the road for an adequate take off and transformed the Skyhawk.

Kenny tore through the fence and transformed the Behemoth. Michael did the same with the Wolverine.

Rocky transformed the Warhorse and shot out a section of fence. He and Chris then drove into it and down the alleyway.

On the south side, the Mammoth and Dove drove into the base through the loading dock. Max sat there and started his watch. "Two minutes." he said.

----------

"Looks like Darwood was right!" said Gearbox as he started up the Monster.

"Let's show them who's in charge!" said Rocks as he climbed into the Lion.

"Looks like we caught 'em napping." said Caitlin.

"Don't let up your guard." warned Jeremy.

Dr. Frankenstein, Skull, and Crossbones ran for the hangar. "Frankenstein, did you relax the control signal so the soldiers can use their guns?" asked Skull.

"What do you think?" asked Frankenstein. "Of course I did." Crossbones joined Skull in the hangar and Frankenstein climbed into the back of the Monster after Gearbox transformed it.

"Something's going on in that hangar." said Enzo.

Suddenly, the doors to the hangar opened. A gigantic vehicle rolled out. The metalic green body looked like the fuselage to a cargo plane. It was divided into two sections, a main body and a trailer. The main body rode on six wheels similar to the ones found on monster trucks. Four more wheels like them were mounted to the trailer. The Foxes' foxhead emblem adorned the nose of the main body just below the windows of the driver's compartment.

"Holy cow!" yelled Kenny.

"These guys have been busy." said Wei.

"Look at them!" said Crossbones. "They look like they just saw a dragon!"

"If you thought that was astonishing, watch this!" said Skull. He pushed the transformation switch.

The Juggernaut's main body separated from its trailer. The upper half of the main body rose up on a turntable and guns folded out of the front. At the rear of the upper half, a missile battery and radar dish extended from the body. A small gun turret folded out of the front of the bottom half.

The Juggernaut's trailer began its transformation as well. The sides folded open to reveal gun turrets. The roof elevated and rotated, revealing a pair of laser cannons and a command pod. A bank of computers lined the lower level.

"Now, let's show them a few things." said Crossbones as he went to the computer bank.

"Looks like we're a little outgunned." said Sven.

"Yeah, LOOKS like." said Jeremy. "Rocky, let 'im have it!"

"Safety, on!" called Rocky from the alley.

A yellow beam shone from his mask and bathed the Juggernaut's trailer base. Crossbones tried to activate the laser cannons, but they didn't respond.

"Uh oh." he muttered. "Uh, Skull. How important was this thing to the plan?"

"Tell me what part of it isn't working." groaned Skull.

"Nice shot, Rocky!" said Jeremy.

"Yeah, but there's a problem." said Rocky. "I only got the rear half because it already separated. What's more, the thing was so large, the weapons shutdown will only last five minutes."

"What's the recharge rate on your mask?" asked Jeremy.

"Ten minutes." said Rocky.

"I think we can hold out until then." said Jeremy as he checked his watch.

----------

Max also checked his watch. The two-minute timer ran out. "Let's go." he said. He drove the Bear into the loading dock and parked.

The three climbed out of the Bear. "Alright, we get out here and start looking for the main computer." said Scooter.

"Are you still in touch with that radar tech?" asked Gates.

"I got 'im." said Scooter. "He said he'd render assistance when we got inside."

AN:The radar tech gave no indication that she was female and Scooter had no reason to assume so.

"Well, call him." said Max.

"Working on it." said Scooter. He started working on his laptop. "Okay, it's sent."

----------

The radar tech received Scooter's text file. It read "We're in the building. Loading dock. Can you see us on camera?"

The radar tech checked the security cameras. "Yes, I see you." she wrote.

"Can you shut down any security measures between us and the computer lab?" wrote Scooter.

"I'll see what I can do." wrote the radar tech.

"Thank you." wrote Scooter.

----------

Outside, the battle continued. The base soldiers fired at the MASK aircraft. Or rather, they fired in their general direction.

"Well, it's nice to see Darth Vader's stormtroopers found work." joked Liam.

"Such awful marksmanship!" said Caitlin. "I'm paying taxes for this?"

"Frankenstein, I thought you said the soldiers could use guns!" yelled Gearbox.

"I said they could shoot!" yelled Frankenstein. "I didn't say they could aim!"

"Come on! Work!" yelled Crossbones as he tried to use the laser cannon.

Just then, the five minutes on the Juggernaut ran out. The laser cannon fired and narrowly missed the Mammoth. "Finally!" yelled Crossbones.

"Guys, the Juggernaut can fire again!" yelled Jeremy over the communicator. "Repeat, the Juggernaut is a threat again!"

Darwood and Slash flew in behind him. "Prepare to take him out of the sky." said Darwood.

As Darwood and Slash were lining up Jeremy in their sights, Jeremy received a communication. "Jeremy, it's Captain Jeffries. I'm near the base. I can see you're in a little danger."

"If you can turn off your sound baffles, do so." said Jeremy. "That will aid in the intimidation factor."

"Roger." said Jeffries.

A loud roar was heard after that. "What's that?" asked Slash. He and Darwood turned around to see the Bluebird behind them.

"Break off the attack!" yelled Darwood.

"Nice work, Jeffries." said Jeremy.

"No problem." said Jeffries.

----------

In the building, Max, Scooter, and Gates reached the computer lab.

"Radar tech says there's motion sensors in the computer lab." said Scooter. "Says there's nothing he can do about them."

"Not a problem." said Max. "Whisper, on!"

Max was surrounded by a blue force field. He entered the lab and started looking for the control for the motion sensors. After switching it off, he motioned for Scooter and Gates to enter.

"Okay, if I were a mind control signal, where would I be?" asked Scooter.

"It's not this one." said Gates as he looked over one computer.

"Not here either." said Max.

"It's gotta be hooked up to a sonic wave projector." said Scooter.

"I don't know if the base has one." said Gates.

"What the..?" asked Scooter. "It's not any of these!"

"But, if it's not here, where is it?" asked Max.

"Wait, I just thought of something." said Scooter. He activated his communicator and said "Michael, we're in the computer lab. The control signal is not being broadcast from here."

"What?" replied Michael. "Hold on." He activated his sensors and checked them. "Oh no." he said. "Scooter, I have some bad news. The control signal is being broadcast from the Juggernaut!"

"Oh darn." said Scooter.

"You mean we have to go all the way back out there?" yelled Max.

"'fraid so." said Scooter as he ran for the door. Max ran after him. Gates watched them run off and entered a stairwell.

----------

Rocky did his best to trade fire with the Juggernaut. Finally, his mask told him it had recharged. "Let's do this again." he said. "Safety, on!"

Another yellow beam shone from his mask and hit the Juggernaut. Crossbones struggled to fire the laser cannon. "Ah, not again!" he yelled.

----------

Scooter and Max ran towards the entrance of the building, then Scooter stopped and said "Wait, where's Gates?"

"Uh oh, he must be going after something...or someone!" said Max.

"Go get him!" said Scooter. "I have a computer to shut down!"

Scooter ran out of the building while Max ran up the stairs.

After Scooter got outside, he noticed the Juggernaut and ran for it. He dodged weapons fire and a few explosions and finally ran into the Juggernaut's computer center. Before he could get to the control signal computer, he received a kick to the stomach and fell like a stone.

"Softening up the target, huh?" asked Crossbones. "Guess I'll just soften you up, then."

Chris watched the whole thing take place. "Aw, man." he said. He climbed out of the Roc and ran over to the Juggernaut. He vaulted over one of the gun turrets and flew into Crossbones foot first.

"Thanks, man." said Scooter as he got to his knees.

"Work on that computer." said Chris. "I'll handle him."

"Rematch?" asked Crossbones. "You got it."

Scooter crawled over to the control computer and went to work. Chris and Crossbones faced each other and struck their martial arts poses. Then, Chris jumped in and threw a straight punch to Crossbones' face. Crossbones blocked and returned with a spin kick. He grazed Chris' shoulder.

----------

In the building, Gates walked into the infirmary to find Marcus in an office chair. "Come to kill me?" asked Marcus.

"How did you know it was me?" asked Gates.

"My vision is coming back a little." said Marcus. "Not enough to be able to fight you, but I can tell it's you, Mr. Gates."

"Why did you shoot my daughter?" asked Gates.

"Malcolm is a friend." said Marcus. "I couldn't let his enemies destroy him. So, I had to intervene."

"You know what Malcolm is planning." said Gates.

"That I do." said Marcus. "I know that his insane plan to follow in Miles Mayhem's footsteps will most likely destroy him, but I also know there's no talking him out of it. He's too focused on his goal."

"What about the innocents who will be destroyed?" asked Gates.

"Alas, if only I could prevent that." said Marcus. "I only eliminate the direct threats to him, no innocents, no collateral damage. I try to be reasonable, but it doesn't always work. By the way, your daughter was the lucky one. She was the first one to survive an assassination by me. She was in a lot of pain, but she was alive to feel it."

"And I am here to avenge what you meant to do." said Gates as he raised his sidearm.

"You're forgetting something: the Mind's Pencil." said Marcus. "Ah, you have to appreciate the irony created in mind control. The one you're getting revenge for ends up getting revenge on you."

Gates was a little surprised by his statement, then turned to see Julie, his own daughter, holding a gun on him.

"Do your worst and she does even more." said Marcus. "My son once told me he hated me and never wanted to see me again. It was the most painful thing I ever experienced. This should be a thousand times worse."

Max burst through the door. "Gates, where did you...oh." he said.

----------

Chris threw a roundhouse kick and struck Crossbones in the shoulder. Crossbones turned and struck Chris in his arm. Chris' arm went numb. "Pressure point." he groaned.

"More to come." said Crossbones. He lurched towards Chris and delivered a series of kicks towards him. Chris blocked each one and responded with a roundhouse to Crossbones' back.

"Do you mind?" yelled Scooter. "I'm trying to work here!"

Using his good arm, Chris chopped Crossbones in the shoulder and followed with a spin kick to his flank.

Crossbones returned the kick with another kick to Chris' flank. He followed with a series of punches to Chris' chest.

Crossbones grabbed Chris by his shirt collar and bent him over the gun turret. "Say it!" he said. "Say it!"

"Yeah, I'll say it." said Chris. "Don't mess with Texas!" He slipped out of Crossbones' hold and forced him onto the turret face first. "Now, you say it!" he yelled.

"No!" groaned Crossbones.

"Say it!" yelled Chris.

"Muetai!" yelled Crossbones.

Chris let go of him and said "There! The match is over."

"Muetai?" asked Scooter.

"Shouldn't you be trying to shut that thing down?" asked Chris.

"You mean like this?" asked Scooter. He flipped a switch.

The soldiers stopped firing their M-16s. "Hey, can anybody else think?" asked one.

"Check your guns." said another.

"I've got half a clip left." said a third.

"Get those dirtballs." said the other. They aimed their guns at the Foxes.

"Uh oh." said Frankenstein. "Darwood, the soldiers are coming out of their trances!"

"What?" yelled Darwood. "Call the Foxbat! We have to get out of here!"

----------

"Kindly drop your weapon." said Marcus. "We wouldn't want your daughter to get hurt now, would we?"

"I hope Beelzebub has a devil set aside for you." said Gates as he dropped his gun.

"This is so precious." said Marcus. "I wish I had a video camera so I could preserve this moment. Julie, would you be so kind as to shoot your father?"

Little did Marcus realize, the control signal had been shut down. Julie realized who she was aiming at when she came to her senses.

"I said 'shoot him'!" yelled Marcus.

"No." said Julie as she turned to face Marcus. He gasped just before she pulled the trigger.

The shot sent him sprawling into the desk behind him. He grabbed his arm, then looked at his hand as he pulled it away.

"What?" he yelled. "Blood? MY blood?"

"Now, I wish I had a video camera." said Max.

"That's MY revenge!" said Julie. "For shooting me. For using that thing on me. For trying to get me to shoot my father."

"Julie?" asked Gates.

"Father." she said. "You came for me."

"I came for Gilford." said Gates. "Finding you here was a relief...and a shock. Thank goodness you're alright."

"Uh, sir?" said Max. "While you and your daughter were having your little reunion, Gilford booked."

"We have to go after him." said Gates.

"Shouldn't be too hard." said Julie as she pointed at the floor. "Just follow the blood trail."

----------

Marcus staggered down the hallway crashing into the walls partially due to shock. Finally, he managed to get outside to find the soldiers assisting the MASK agents in their battle.

Darwood converted the Firefox back into a car and drove up to Marcus. "Gates and his daughter are free." groaned Marcus as he climbed into the car. "We have to get out of here."

"I agree." said Darwood. He turned and faced the battle.

The Foxbat landed and started collecting the Foxes' vehicles, even the Juggernaut. After all were collected, it took off. Only the Firefox was left.

"There's Darwood." said Scooter. "Let's get him!"

"Fox, on!" called Darwood.

A white flash of light burst from his mask. All of their opponents were left extremely confused. Darwood used the confusion to escape by turning the Firefox back into a plane and flying after the Foxbat.

After the confusion wore off, everyone looked around and noticed Darwood was gone. "I hate it when he does that." said Kenny.

----------

After a few hours, the MASK agents and soldiers had everything sorted out.

"And so, without the control signal to sustain your mind control," said Laura to the troops "your brains should heal over the next week or so. You'll have a slight headache, but I think you'll find that preferable to lifelong servitude."

"Laura says I should be fine." said Chris of his injuries. "I'm going to see a specialist about this arm, though."

"Good to hear that." said Scooter. "Chris, I'm sorry I yelled at you in the Juggernaut. I realize that you were doing your best."

"It's a stressful job." said Chris. "I understand."

"One question, though." said Scooter. "Muetai?"

"That's left over from the World Styles Confederation." said Chris. "Basicly, it's a surrender. You know, crying 'uncle'."

"Given the situation, I can see why he didn't want to say it." said Scooter.

The radar tech walked over to them. "Excuse me, are you Scooter?" she asked.

"Yes, I am." said Scooter. "Wait, are you that radar tech?"

"Yes."

"Thanks for your help." said Scooter. "We have since learned it was unnecessary, but thank you nonetheless."

"I have the pictures you need for your report." said Sven.

"Thank you, Sven." said Jeremy.

"Jeremy, can I talk to you?" asked Gates.

"Sure." said Jeremy. He walked over, then turned to Sven and said "Oh, one more thing. I relayed your actions to my superiors. They said you performed very well under the circumstances. You and the other fifteen tryouts are now officially on reserve status. If we need your particular talents, we'll call you. Nice work out there."

"Thank you." said Sven. He turned, threw his fists in the air, and let out a cheer in Swedish.

"What's up?" asked Jeremy.

"The Foxes had a strong chance of winning this one." said Gates. "Your actions proved very useful in his defeat. But what almost helped him to win was him targeting my daughter. Given our past history, I know I was an easy target for him. For that reason, I am stepping down as commandant of this facility."

"That sounds like a reasonable action." said Jeremy. "If I had a daughter like Julie, I wouldn't want her in danger either."

"I will now be taking my retirement in Sacramento instead." said Gates. "I will be leaving a few suggestions for my successor."

"I hope one of them will be to dispose of some of those more dangerous weapons." said Jeremy.

"That will actually be my last order while I'm here." said Gates. "I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts."

"You're welcome, sir." said Jeremy. "It looks like the MASK/Foxes battle just went into overdrive."

----------

AN:And there, we have the thrilling conclusion. I have a few ideas for sequels, but they won't be seen for a while due to my work on another fic which will be a major undertaking.  
I'm relieved that I made my deadline, even if it was only by a few hours. I would've had this done sooner, but my sister had the computer tied up this past few days. Thank you all for reading.  
Oh, and in case you're wondering, one of Gates' lines to Marcus (I hope Beelzebub has a devil set aside for.) was a reference to "Bohemian Rhapsody".  
And now, three final profiles. We will see those for Darwood's assassin, the first MASK 2 alternate, and Gates' daughter.

Marcus Gilford

Allegiance:The Foxes

Position:Assassin

Birthplace:Baltimore

Mask:Shockwave (fires a powerful fireball)

Vehicle Code Name:none

Bio:Marcus was a classmate of Malcolm Darwood's in college and was with him the night he ran into Miles Mayhem. They were both given a chance to prolong the life and cause of VENOM in the case of their defeat. Marcus was the more mean-spirited of himself and Darwood and found pleasure in exacting torture on his enemies. This led to him becoming Darwood's chief assassin and a long string of eliminating those who got in the way.

Sven Ericsen

Allegiance:MASK 2 (alternate)

Position:Spy Photographer

Cover Job:Nature Photographer

Birthplace:Stockholm

Mask:Freezeframe (takes pictures that analyze their subjects)

Vehicle Code Name:Bat (Saab 9-3 Viggen/spy plane)

Bio:Sven always had a thing for nature. Eventually, he discovered a love for photography as well and decided to combine his loves. He used his talents to expose companies' voilations of environmental laws and bring about justice for nature. However, Darwood Enterprises always managed to elude prosecution. When Sven discovered Darwood's possible ties to VENOM, he started asking around for ways to fight them. This got him to try out for the second MASK team.  
(The Bat was not seen in this fic.)

Julie Gates

Allegiance:FBI

Position:Field Agent

Birthplace:Sacramento

Mask:none

Vehicle Code Name:none

Bio:A third generation FBI agent, Julie was a classmate of Jeremy Sanchez at the FBI Academy and a determined investigator. Shortly after the death of Miles Mayhem, she joined her father in the investigation of Malcolm Darwood's ties to the VENOM leader. This is what almost killed her. Darwood thought she was getting too close and had Marcus try to kill her. A lucky miss saved her life. She returned to the FBI after recovering.

Thank you very much. It's been great having you.


End file.
